Uncharted: A Thief's End The Novelization
by SpinoSlayer711
Summary: Experience the journey of retired fortune hunter, Nathan Drake, as he is forced back into the world of thieves on his greatest adventure yet, searching for the legendary treasure of pirate captain Henry Avery. A novelization of the smash hit game Uncharted 4 by Naughty Dog Studios.
1. Chapter 1: The Lure of Adventure

I am a man of fortune, and I must seek my fortune

-Captain Henry Avery, 1694

Chapter 1

The Lure of Adventure

"Nathan," said the voice.

Nathan couldn't look at her. The relentless ticking of the clock resonated in his ears.

"Nathan?" asked the voice again. She reached her hand down to Nathan's chin to make him look into her eyes. Nathan stubbornly refused.

"What are we going to do with you?" she said with a sigh.

Nathan still didn't look.

"You must be tired of these lectures, I know I'm tired of giving them."

Nathan was pretty sure that she really did enjoy lecturing him, as if he was specially selected to sit through them all alone. He was sick of this place. The peeling paint, the lack of light. Everything about it was stifling.

"Now you have to stay here with me all weekend instead of going on the retreat with everyone else."

Nathan saw that one coming, but he voiced his opinion. "I don't care." He said defiantly, now looking his lecturer right in the face.

A few seconds passed.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

He hated that clock. It almost screamed, 'All of your time is spent here. You will never leave this place.'

"Yes," said the woman, "that is the crux of the problem. We've sheltered and fed you for all of your thirteen years, and all you can say is, I don't care."

The orphanage was dark, and the only light to be found was leaking from the candle. Not that it made a difference. The people here at the orphanage were too cheap to waste precious income on frivolities like light. Nathan stared into the wall, his bed feeling hard and cold. He was so frustrated with everything.

"I don't see why I'm the only one being punished," Nathan said.

The woman looked at him, her arms crossed, "Because you started the fight!"

Nathan gazed at the floor, "He wouldn't give me back my book."

"I told you to leave those books in your room," said the woman, "You only have yourself to blame."

Nathan was tired of these pacifists. He was tired of having to turn the other cheek every time somebody tried to push him around. Tired of being everybody's doormat or punching bag or errand boy.

"Doesn't give him the right to just snatch it from me," said Nathan.

"Does that give you the right to just start throwing punches?!" demanded the woman with anger in her voice.

In Nathan's mind, when somebody steals from you, it does give you the right. He didn't say it aloud though. Nathan's brown hair flickered in the light of the candle, his chestnut colored eyes looking down at the floor.

A few silent seconds passed, "It wasn't just about the book."

Nathan's face crumpled. He could cry, but he wouldn't do it. Not with her in the room. She would never get to see him cry.

The woman walked over, "What was it then?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

Nathan sat there, but after a few seconds he replied, "Nothing. It was nothing."

Nathan looked into the woman's eyes now. She began walking towards the door, but before leaving she said, "No matter what I try, you seem insistent on going down the same, sad road as your brother."

Nathan looked at her, she was just staring back, with closed lips. As she turned to leave, Nathan heard her say, "What a waste," before she opened the door and closed it with a bang.

She was gone.

Nathan didn't move, he just sat there. He shed a tear. Now that he was left in peace, he could cry all night. With a quivering lip, he stared at the window, the bruise under his eye marked with a single tear track. A few minutes, and he stopped. If she came back in, Nathan couldn't let her see he had been crying. He stood up and walked to the window. He saw a small, glinting light flashing across the rooftops. He was on the third level of the building, but his window was on level with the rooftops. He knew what the glint meant.

"Sam!" he said, suddenly feeling happier.

Sam had signaled from on top of the school building, which was right next to, and owned by, the orphanage. He opened the window wide enough for him to jump through. He looked one last time at the door, but he didn't see the lamp of the woman, and he didn't hear her footsteps. As long as he could slip away without her knowing, he didn't care whether she knew he left or not.

He vaulted out the window, and landed right on the metal rooftop. The rustling of the leaves in the faint wind was all he could hear. He couldn't quite get to Sam from where he was at. He would have to navigate the rooftops to find him. Nathan eventually got to the tall, sloped part of the roof. He tried climbing it, but it was too slippery. Undeterred, he looked for another solution. The roof of the orphanage was convoluted; it wasn't a single rooftop, but different levels and walls. Not being afraid of heights, he looked to see the flowerbeds hanging from the windows. The ledges were stone, and he jumped up and grabbed one, before swinging up and over to the other end of the sloped roof. The roof leveled off and he walked for a bit before he reached the end of the level. There was an open window. The window was the only way for him to get down.

He was on the lower level, since the building was on a hillside. The lower level of the building was also where the woman was. He cautiously entered the room, which was the medical area. He remembered being dragged in here for checkups every month.

The door was cracked open, and carefully, he opened it a bit more. It creaked ever so slightly, but to Nathan it sounded like a blasting trumpet. He was now in the main hallway of the orphanage. The hallway was dim, though more well-lit than any of the dorms. It had old black and white pictures of previous owners or outstanding staff that had worked in the place, some dating back to the 1850's. Old furniture lined the halls. Nathan crept silently, before hearing footsteps.

"Uh-oh," he said under his breath.

It was the owner of the orphanage talking to the woman. Nathan dove for cover behind the door.

He listened to the two talking back and forth, "Isn't it our job to help boys like him?" asked the owner.

"In the meantime, I'm neglecting the other dozen boys in my care."

The owner sighed, "What do you want me to do?"

"You know my opinion," the woman said coldly.

"Well I'm not ready to give up on him yet." The owner stopped at the doors leading outside the orphanage.

"You can't keep avoiding it!" the woman said.

The owner sighed again, "Look, I'll talk to him in the morning."

Nathan quickly rolled from the back of the door to behind a desk.

The woman stood there, "Goodnight Pastor."

"Goodnight Catherine."

Catherine moved a bit closer and Nathan crunched against the desk. She then entered her office next to the door and Nathan moved into the room adjacent to the entrance on the other side. He would have to wait until the woman left the office before he could risk leaving. Sam would just have to wait a bit longer.

The room he was inside was where all the orphanages files were kept. He saw a file on a desk with his picture on it. It was a behavioral report form. Nathan looked at it. It recounted the detail of Nathan's fight, making Nathan's blood boil. Nowhere mentioned was Edward, the boy that had stolen Nathan's books. The form set down Nathan's punishments: loss of privilege, and a four day suspension from school.

He put the form down, and peeped carefully into Catherine's window. She wasn't looking. He bolted for the front door, but when he turned the handle, he realized with horror that it was locked. Nathan was deflated. The only way to get out now was if he went through the open window in Catherine's office.

He crept into the office as gingerly as he could. If he was caught, he'd be in far more trouble than he cared to think about. Not being able to go on the retreat would be the last of his worries. He carefully crept behind the furniture in the room, always staying out of Catherine's view. She stepped over to the window Nathan was trying to get out of. He frowned.

Catherine lit a cigarette and began smoking on the edge of the window. Nathan was shocked. Smoking was forbidden in the school! Maybe he should get her into trouble sometime later. He grinned. How satisfying it would be to see her get fired! But how exactly he could prove it was something else entirely.

Suddenly he heard the muffled voice of the pastor, "Catherine!"

The woman nearly jumped out of her skin, dropping the cigarette. "Darn!" she said, before throwing it out the window, "Uh, yes Pastor?!"

He heard the pastor's voice through the walls, "Catherine, I'm sorry but I've forgotten my keys again, can you please open the gate for me?"

Catherine left, and Nathan ran for the window. Clambering out onto the windowsill, he saw Sam on the roof next to the building.

"Come on Nathan!" said Sam.

Nathan followed, and climbed up the gutter onto the roof of the building. He was on the tall, flat level, and air conditioning pipes poked out in several different places. As he looked for Sam, he saw a flashlight and backpack sitting there without an owner. The flashlight was still on. Confused, Nathan picked up the flashlight and switched it off.

Suddenly he felt himself getting grabbed and flung onto his back, before being set down on the ground. It was Sam, laughing.

"You better learn to watch your back Nate!"

Nathan chuckled, "Alright." He said, wondering why he didn't suspect Sam in the first place.

"Hey it's good to see you little brother," Sam said.

Sam was taller than Nathan, about six years older, and he had a carefree personality. His slicked back hair fit his overall appearance well. He was wearing a jean jacket with a maroon t-shirt underneath.

His smile soon disappeared when he saw Nathan's face, "What?" he said pointing to the bruise under Nathan's eye, "Really, again?"

"It's nothing." Nathan said pushing Sam's' hand back.

"I told you to stay out of trouble," Sam said.

"But he was talking trash about us!" Nathan protested.

"So?" asked Sam.

Nathan let out what he so badly wanted to say, "He said that…Dad dumped us here because we're worthless and Mom is dead because-"

"Nathan! Nathan," Sam said, "Look, they're just talking that way because it gets to you. OK? You just have to learn to shake it off."

"You wouldn't," Nathan said.

Sam chuckled, "Well do as I say not as I do."

Nathan looked at his brother. He shook his head, "So, what are you doing here like this anyway? If the people here catch you they're going to call the cops."

Sam smiled, "Well I got something for you, and it couldn't wait till Christmas."

"What?" Nathan asked with excitement.

"It's outside," said Sam with a grin.

Nathan frowned, "What happened to staying out of trouble?"

"Well this is an exception…" replied Sam.

Sam took off running, and he jumped onto another level of the roof.

"Nice jump," said Nathan.

Sam knew Nathan was too short to make it, so he held out his hand.

Nathan took it, and Sam chuckled as he hoisted Nathan up, "Sheesh you're light. Are the people here feeding you enough?"

Nathan didn't answer.

Walking across the roof Sam struck up some conversation, "Pretty quiet here. Where is everyone?"

"Some retreat." Nathan replied.

Sam huffed, "I remember those…hey, how's Pastor Duffy doing?"

"He's the one decent guy in there," Nathan replied, "You should come and say hi."

"Nah…" Sam said, "I don't need the guilt."

Nathan shook his head. They came to a door and Sam looked at it. It was the door that led to the staircase off the roof. Unfortunately, it was locked, and there was no way to open it. Sam usually carried a few lock picking tools for just such an occasion, but he didn't have any on hand this time.

"You forgot to prop it." Nathan said.

Sam rubbed his chin, "Hey I don't need stairs…Look."

Sam pointed over to a ladder that led down to the street. He walked over and slid down the ladder, before hitting the ground. The ladder was a good seven feet off the ground to protect against people from the street climbing onto the building. Nathan followed his brother, and when they both hit the street, Sam's "surprise" was waiting right next to the ladder, as if he had known they'd use the ladder the whole time.

It was a beautiful red motorcycle. Old school, but definitely not a lightweight looking one at all.

"Whoa!" said Nathan impressed, "You got the 250!"

Sam looked at Nathan with a raised eyebrow, "The 250? What are you talking about? This is the 500cc twin!"

"No way!" Nathan said with awe.

"Yeah…" said Sam relishing the attention the bike was getting.

"Where'd you lift it from?" Nathan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Whoa!" Sam said, "That's a low blow. I'll have you know I'm a changed man. Bought this puppy with my hard-earned cash."

He patted the bike's seat like it was a prized dog.

"C'mon," said Sam, "Take a seat."

Nathan stood there, not moving. A frown on his face.

Sam raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Nathan shook his head, "The only time you pull off a stunt like this is when you're trying to make up for something."

Sam looked at the ground, and then pointed a finger at Nathan, "You are too smart for your own good you know that?"

Nathan looked still harder into his brother's eyes.

"Alright." Sam said, "I got this job. Pays well. Really well, but…uh…I'm going to have to leave town for a little bit."

Nathan felt a knot in his stomach. Sam was his best friend, and the only person who brought him true happiness here.

"How long is a little bit?" Nathan asked not sure he wanted to know.

His heart sunk as his brother let out a deep sigh, "Like a…a year."

Nathan's eyes widened, his heart wrenching.

"At the most!" said Sam trying to help, "And then I'll be back before you even know it."

"You're bailing on me." Nathan said.

Sam shook his head, and stepped towards Nathan, "Ah come on don't be so dramatic."

Nathan pointed towards the orphanage and said, "What, so it wasn't enough to leave me in that pit?! How could you do this to me Sam?"

"Nate hold on, I'm doing this for you! The money I make is for the both of us. And in a couple of years when you're out of-"

"A couple of years!" Nathan said feeling as if a couple of years at the orphanage would only be slightly shorter than eternity. "Take me with you!" Nathan pleaded.

Sam shook his head, "Nate I can barely support myself"

"I'll pitch in!" said Nathan.

Sam sighed, "Look I know you think the orphanage sucks,"

"You have no idea," Nathan interrupted.

"Yeah but it's the best thing for you right now!" Sam said trying to make Nathan feel better, "Alright? You just have to trust me on that one."

"It's not fair," said Nathan looking at the ground.

"Hey," said Sam, "Nothing about our lives has been fair."

He looked at Nathan, who looked back, "But we've made it work." He finished, "Right?" he nudged Nathan.

"Sure." Nathan said simply.

Sam began walking to the other side of the bike, "Well, the bike wasn't the only surprise, and I guess I'm going to have to ruin the next one."

"What?" Nathan said.

Sam waited several suspense building seconds before raising his finger, and opening his mouth wide. "I found Mom's stuff. Everything that Dad sold. I tracked down the buyer."

Nathan's stomach did a flip-flop. He almost didn't believe it, "If you're saying this just to make me feel better…" said Nathan.

"No," Sam said, "I promise you."

"Where is it?" asked Nathan, a smile coming to his face.

"Eh…On the other side of town." Sam said, "What do you say we get it back?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, "You mean steal it?"

At a pitiful justification attempt, Sam said, "Well…It's not stealing if it was ours to begin with."

Nathan shook his head, "Well I'm pretty sure the cops aren't going to see it that way."

"Well then let's not get caught," said Sam.

Sam hopped on the dirt bike and motioned for Nathan to hop on. Nathan didn't like the idea of stealing anything. He had just got in trouble for fighting a thief, he didn't want to become the thief himself. But he still didn't know how to say no to his brother. Against his better judgment, he hopped on the bike.

"You ready for this?" asked Sam.

Nathan smiled, "Let's go."

| Twelve Years Later |

The crowd of people shouted and taunted behind him. Nathan smiled a bit.

This bozo was about to get his just—Wham!

Without any warning the man had swung a rock-hard punch to his face. Nathan stepped back into a wooden worktable. The man raised his hand and starting jabbering in Spanish to the crowd, cheering for him.

The man, named Gustavo, laughed.

Nathan shook his head, and said under his breath, "You're going to have to do better than that pal."

Nathan got back up holding his fists up. Gustavo looked at him and threatened him in Spanish.

"Let's go." Nathan said gritting his teeth.

He swung and hit Gustavo in the face. Gustavo recovered, and slammed him in the face once, twice, right into the crowd. The crowd shoved Nathan back into the fray. Nathan held his fists, assessing. Waiting.

Gustavo swung, and Nathan dodged, before punching him twice. Gustavo fell into the crowd, who gently helped him back up. Gustavo once again threatened Nathan in Spanish before lunging and grabbing Nathan's arm, forcing him to bend over. Nathan used his free hand, and punched Gustavo right below the belt buckle. Shockingly, Gustavo took minimal recovery time, before making a vicious punch to Nathan's nose. Nathan yelled in pain, and Gustavo tried grabbing the back of his neck. Nathan pulled away, and elbowed Gustavo hard in the side of his head. Gustavo yelled, and pushed Nathan into the crowd. One of the people in the crowd began strangling him. Nathan tried to loosen the grip, but no give. He began elbowing the man in the ribs with all his might. The man let go, and Nathan was shoved back into Gustavo, who punched Nathan in the stomach. Doubled over, Nathan quickly recovered.

"Alright," said Nathan "You asked for it!"

He rushed Gustavo, yelling like a wild animal. He punched Gustavo square in the nose, and then elbowed him in the chin. He heard Gustavo's neck bones crack, before Gustavo got back up. Gustavo kicked Nathan in the chest, sending him to the ground. There was a tall post in the center of the fighting area. Gustavo shoved Nathan up to it, pushing his throat into it with his forearm. Nathan used his free arm and grabbing Gustavo's head, he smacked it against the post. Gustavo reeled back, blood on his forehead.

Gustavo, now thoroughly enraged, grabbed Nathan, and forced him to the ground. He then straddled Nathan and began punching him mercilessly. Nathan punched him back. Gustavo pinned Nathan's arms down with his one hand, and with the other, he covered Nathan's mouth, shoving it into the ground. Unable to breathe, Nathan tried desperately to free his other hand. He jerked it free, and punched Gustavo in the face. Gustavo reeled back, and Nathan got up.

"Alright, my turn!" Nathan shouted.

He straddled Gustavo and began hammering him in the face. He was about to strike his third blow when a man held his wrist back, and another man forced him to get up.

"What the…" Nathan said caught off guard.

Gustavo was being restrained by another two men.

Nathan huffed, "Hey, we weren't fighting, right little guy?" he said grinning at Gustavo.

Gustavo swore at him in Spanish.

"Hey Gustavo give me a call when you're tall enough to ride the rides!" The people told Nathan to shut up, before taking him away.

Nathan was led down into a dark prison.

"Oh come on!" Nathan said at the men shoved him into a cell, "How long am I supposed to be in here? Huh? Where's the toilet?"

The jail keeper, Vargas, replied "You're looking at it. Have fun." "I will! We both will…" Nathan said.

The cell door slammed shut with a clang, and Nathan was left in almost complete darkness. The only light to be found was leaking in from the small eye-slit in the cell door. Nathan then slumped down on the ground and sighed deeply. This certainly hadn't been the first time he had been in a jail cell. He let his arms droop.

He remembered the nights at the orphanage he had spent like this many years ago. How often he felt as if he was somewhere like this back then. The orphanage had always been his prison. After a bit, he laid down. As he drifted off to sleep, he could hear the soft drips of water down the walls. The next morning, the cell door opened. Straining to see in the sudden flood of light, Nathan shielded his eyes, and saw a figure walking towards him. It was Vargas.

"Get up," Vargas said with harshness.

Nathan sighed, "Oh man, I was having a great dream too…"

Vargas grabbed Nathan's arm and forced him up.

"Hey, hey!" Nathan said, "Alright! Easy…"

Vargas was handcuffing him from behind. After snapping the lock to the cuff shut, Vargas pushed him out of the cell.

"Alright!" Nathan said.

With that, Vargas led him away.


	2. Chapter 2: Infernal Place

Chapter 2

Infernal Place

"Hey, any chance I can take a shower?" asked Nathan.

Vargas didn't reply. With hands cuffed, Nathan passed by the guardhouse.

"Morning boys!" Nathan said, "Or is it evening? It's hard to tell down here."

Vargas shoved his finger towards the staircase, "Get up the stairs!"

Nathan obliged, and began walking up. At the top of the staircase, a guard opened a metal door.

Nathan smiled and nodded at the guard, "Nice to see you," he said, meaning it.

The top of the staircase led to yet another staircase, which was the entrance to the prison itself.

"Ah, it's bright!" Nathan said trying to adjust his eyes, "And humid too."

Vargas chuckled, "Welcome to Panama."

Vargas led Nathan out into the prison yard. The inmates there shouted taunts at Nathan in Spanish.

Walking away from them Vargas said, "Looks like you have some fans."

Nathan huffed, "Yeah, my adoring public…"

Vargas led Nathan down to the main prison building. Nathan was about to enter the house when Vargas restrained him and began speaking in Spanish to the door guard.

Nathan chuckled, "I do speak a little Spanish you know…wait, what exactly did you say?"

Vargas shoved Nathan into a narrow hallway, "You'll find out soon enough."

The main building was long, with hallways leading in different directions. Nathan saw two guards ruthlessly beating a prisoner. They passed them, Vargas shoving Nathan towards different rat infested corridors.

Nathan was about to go towards the warden's office when Vargas restrained him, "No, no. Not that way."

He opened a huge wooden door and beckoned for Nathan to follow, "After you."

Nathan looked. The door opened to a large staircase leading down into the sewers.

"Yeah this isn't sketchy at all," Nathan said.

Vargas didn't reply.

"Go left," Vargas said as Nathan entered the sewer.

Nathan obeyed, and after a bit, they reached the end of the hallway that led to the outside.

"Through here," Vargas said.

"Alright…" said Nathan as he was suddenly taken back by the area. There was a large tower across the ravine that was overgrown with vines. It looked like it was several hundred years old. The surrounding area was also quite beautiful. There were tall trees, and the sky was a perfect cloudless blue. It was like going from night to day.

"You going to take these cuffs off or what?" Nathan said.

"I want in." Vargas said simply.

Nathan didn't understand. "In?"

"Bring me whatever you find up there." said Vargas pointing up to the large stone tower.

Nathan chuckled, "Now come on Vargas the deal was just to get us in and out of here, that's it."

"Just?" said Vargas, "I'm sticking my neck out for you."

"Yeah," said Nathan, "and Rafe is paying you a lot of money for your trouble."

"True," said Vargas, and then holding up a yellow envelope he continued, "But not nearly enough."

Nathan looked at Vargas and frowned, "Hey, you were told not to open that."

"Yes," said Vargas, "I was also told not to take bribes, not to bring anyone here, and not to beat on my inmates." He held up the envelope, "But here we are."

Nathan sighed in frustration. Vargas, putting on his glasses dramatically, took out the paper.

"Hey, just be careful with that," Nathan said, "it's over three hundred years old."

Vargas huffed and began to read the paper, "I was a member of Captain Henry Avery's crew," Vargas looked at Nathan, "You know who that is?"

"He was a pirate," said Nathan.

"The pirate who pulled off the biggest heist in history, and got away with it. I looked him up."

"That's great," said Nathan but can we-"

"Over four hundred million dollars' worth of gold and jewels!" Vargas interrupted, "All from one single ship, uh…the Gunsway."

"Yeah," said Nathan, "I'm very familiar to the story. Can we get on with the point?"

Vargas continued reading, "Uh…I occupy the highest cell in the Spaniard's prison. I hope you will someday find your way into this infernal place, bear my cross, and discover the riches of paradise."

With finishing pomp, Vargas dramatically put the glasses back in his pocket, and looked at Nathan expectantly.

Nathan shrugged. "What?" he said, "What do you want?"

Vargas rolled his eyes, "The riches of paradise!"

Nathan himself rolled his eyes, "Oh for—It's a metaphor!"

Vargas pointed at Nathan and shook his head and finger, "Oh no, no, no, no, no! You and your friends didn't pay to get into this infernal place in search of a metaphor. I want in!"

Nathan said, "Alright. I'll tell you what. You let me go up there, check out that prison cell, and if there's still anything there after three hundred years, you can take this up with Rafe. Now come on!"

Nathan turned around and shook his arms. Vargas unlocked the handcuffs. Once he was free, Nathan looked at Vargas, "The letter?"

Vargas looked at it, reluctant to give it away.

"Por favor?" Nathan pressed.

Vargas gave the letter over with a grunt. The breeze fluttered past Nathan's hair as he considered his plan of attack.

"How you going to get up there anyway?" Vargas asked.

"Climb. Oh of course, unless you want to do it since you want 'in' and all."

Vargas gave Nathan a look, "Just don't break your neck, eh compadre?"

"Yeah," said Nathan, "Hey did you bring what I asked Vargas?"

Vargas shuffled around and replied, "Uh, yeah I did. Hid it over there under the work table…uh, by the crates."

"Great, thanks." Nathan said before he set off.

The area he was at was right next to the ocean. They were on a cliff edge that had multiple levels. There was an inlet of the ocean far below. He walked down to where Vargas had talked about. There was a crowded work area with crates everywhere. On the other side was a worktable. Sitting on the work table was what Nathan was looking for.

"There you are," he said as he picked up the tool.

It was a grappling hook. Sam had taught Nathan how to use one when they were kids. He walked over to the closest place as possible to the old tower. The tower sat atop an island that was about fifty feet away from where he was standing. The Spanish had put it on this tiny isolated island to keep the prisoners inside from escaping, including pirate captains. The islands surrounding the inlet weren't really islands in the technical sense, but tall rocky spires that towered out of the inlet. The island with the old tower was right in front of him, and a tiny spire with a tree was between him and the old prison.

He got out the grappling hook and swung it around and around before flinging it onto the tree branch. It held. He huffed and then leapt off the cliff. He swung in a broad arc and at his swing's apex, he yanked on the cord sharply and the hook slipped off the branch perfectly. He landed on the tall tower spire with a crash. After getting up and dusting himself off, he looked around.

The tower was right to his left. It stood tall, and was in utter disrepair. It was a crumbling ruin, and the top of the tower was his goal. That was where Captain Henry Avery's first mate had been incarcerated in. Fortunately for Nathan, it's state of disrepair and crumbling also gave him plenty of places to grip the walls. There were dozens of ledges. Mapping out the ledge's locations, he formulated a route, and when he found one, he began scaling the side of the tower.

Since he was quite experienced in climbing, he scaled the wall with relative ease. Aside from a few ledges that crumbled a bit more than Nathan liked, most of them were solid enough for him to hoist up.

"Man, wait till Sam hears about this," Nathan said with a chuckle.

Hanging on to a ledge near the top, he looked out over the inlet.

"Well at least Burns had a good view before he was executed…"

Once he got near the top, he saw an open window. Climbing over, he entered the tower. The inside of the tower was dark, and water dripped down the walls and ceiling. It reeked of mold and decay, the wood covered in moss, and the crumbling stone covered in mildew and water. A family of rats scurried away at his approach. There was just enough light for him to see by, and soon his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Hard to believe there were dozens of pirates holed up in here just waiting to be hanged."

Another quick look and he said, "OK, where to…"

He went down the creaking wooden staircase to a lower level, just to see if he could find anything. Inside was a note that had been sitting on a table. The note was from a prison keeper or somebody similar. It was dated for September 18, 1696.

The note read, _"I hanged the first of Captain Avery's crew this afternoon, in full view of their cohorts. A gratuitous act perhaps, but one that stokes fear in their hearts for what follows. The sorry pirates threw themselves at my feet, begging for mercy. One day, I hope to hear those same pleas from their elusive captain."_

Nathan put the note down and then walked back up the stairs. The first mate was imprisoned in the uppermost cell with the most security. One of the stairs broke in half when he stepped. He kept his balance, and walked to the very top. The floor of this upper level was almost completely gone. It had dropped out years ago.

"I can't believe this place is still standing," said Nathan, "The Spanish sure knew how to build a sturdy prison. Wonder how many pirates died here…"

He looked around the rickety floor but there wasn't another staircase to the top level. It had probably just rotted away. He went back to the window, he would have to climb up the side of the building to the very top to get to First Mate Burn's cell. Crawling out the window, he made his way up more ledges until he reached the very top, Burn's cell. When he did, he was immediately taken back by the size of it. It was far more massive than any of the other cells in the lower levels.

"Burn's cell," Nathan said admiring, "It's more like a suite!"

The cell walls were covered with strange symbols. There were Greek letters corresponding with Roman numerals. He saw a sun and moon, which he knew were alchemy symbols for gold and silver. Suddenly he remembered he had seen a sun on the letter he had gotten off of Vargas. He looked at Burn's note. Indeed, in the top corner, there was a sun. Curious, he flipped the note over. Sure enough, there was a moon on the other side. It was only half of the moon though, while the entire sun had been on the first half. There was also a Greek letter half on the other side. He folded the note, and the sun and moon halves met. The note's Roman numeral were X and II. The walls of the cell were made of stones, and some of the stones had Roman numerals scratched on them.

Nathan looked for numeral X. There was a stone with the number X on it. He tried to take the stone out, but it wouldn't budge. Confused, he looked for the stone with the number II on it. When he found it, it wouldn't budge either. He thought for a bit, and then he realized that the number he should be looking for was XII.

He looked, and found a wall stone with the number XII on it. He pried open the stone. It came out after a bit of working. Nathan reached into the opening and after a bit of feeling around, he felt something small and metallic. He brought it out, and was extremely surprised to see what it was. It was a small handheld golden crucifix. The Christ figure was made of pure gold, and the cross was made of blue painted wood with brass accents.

Nathan reached in the hole again, but there was nothing else aside from this small piece of treasure, though Nathan was still confused to why it was here. Why a crucifix of all things? He looked, but there was nothing left for him to find. All of the other stones were set. Nothing to be done, he would have to go back to Vargas without the treasures of paradise.

"You made it," said Vargas with folded arms and an expectant face, "What did you find?"

Nathan didn't face Vargas, instead staring into the sky.

"Drake?" said Vargas, annoyed.

Nathan sighed and turned to face Vargas, "Place was picked clean," he said. "If there was a hidden clue up there I couldn't find it."

"Are you sure?" Vargas said, "Were you looking in the right place?"

Nathan shrugged, "You know…maybe I missed something in the letter. There could've been another tower that collapsed centuries ago."

Vargas swore under his breath.

Nathan decided to probe deeper, "Are there any plans to this place? Any blueprints or whatever?"

Vargas thought for a moment, "Uh…There could be. There's a bunch of old files and stuff."

Nathan nodded, "OK, great! Great. Go through those and see what you can dig up. Meanwhile I'll talk to Sam. He's our Avery expert. Maybe he can make sense of this whole mess."

"Right," said Vargas, "I'll look into the files. Turn around."

Nathan did, and Vargas cuffed his hands again.

After a bit, they returned to the prison yard. Just before entering the yard, Vargas said, "Alright, when you're done talking to him, you come and find me."

"You got it," replied Nathan.

Now that they were back, Vargas once again resumed his act. Shoving Nathan into the yard he shouted, "If I catch you fighting one more time, it's in the hole for you!"

Nathan nodded, and then said under his breath, "OK, Nice acting Vargas…Almost as good as mine."

Nathan smiled and walked over to the other end of the yard. In it was Sam. When Sam saw Nathan he came over quickly, "Oh man they worked you over! You alright?"

"Just another day at the office…" Nathan said. Sam's naturally slicked back hair gave him a slightly wild appearance. It was an interesting contrast to Nathan's short but immaculate hair. Sam had a small tattoo of the outline of a bird on his neck.

Nathan began to try and walk away, but Sam stopped him, "Hey wait, whoa! You're not going to leave me in suspense are you?"

Nathan nodded and replied as he walked away, "You were right…"

Sam laughed gleefully and caught up with Nathan, "No we were right! You helped me just as much to try to get into that tower. I know Captain Avery's treasure is somewhere near here…Now we just have to find Rafe and-"

"Ah Rafe," Nathan said with a sigh. "Come on Sam. Like you said, we did this. Now some rich imbecile comes in on the tail end and…"

"Look Nate, how long have we been trying to get in here?"

Nathan shrugged, "We had some leads."

"No we didn't!" Sam said, "Not one! So like it or not, no Rafe, no Vargas, and no getting in here."

Nathan said, "Yeah, and about Vargas, we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" said a voice.

Nathan looked to see who it was. It was Rafe Adler. Rafe was about the same age as Sam, with a narrow face, striking green eyes that always seemed half closed, and a smirk on his face. His hair was jet black and combed back against his head. He had a charming personality, and always seemed cool and collected, though he had a decided unpredictable streak.

"Did he let you into the old prison?"

"Yeah he did," replied Nathan, "After he read the letter."

Rafe lowered his head and he moaned. "So how much does he know?"

"Enough that he wants a cut," Nathan said.

Sam growled, "Look Rafe if anybody else finds out about this then…"

Rafe shook his head and raised his hand, "Look I'll work it out with Vargas, don't worry. Let's just get on to more important matters."

Nathan looked around, "Let's uh, find somewhere a little more…private."

The three men walked over to a building in the corner of the yard rarely visited by anyone.

"OK," said Sam, "What do we got?"

Nathan took the crucifix out of his pocket. Sam gasped in admiration and Rafe reached for it. Nathan let him take a look.

Rafe began talking almost to himself, "Wood with gold and silver inlay. It's well made." He chuckled, "It's hollow. Now why would one of Avery's men go through the trouble of hiding a cheap crucifix?"

Nathan corrected him, "It's not a crucifix."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Nathan explained, "Well technically a crucifix is a representation of Jesus. This isn't Jesus."

Rafe examined the crucifix more closely.

He smiled when he realized, "Yeah you're right Nate. He doesn't have a crown of thorns, and he's tied to the cross, not nailed…Well if it isn't Jesus then who…"

Sam took the cross and looked at it. There was a faint inscription written on the cross and he read it aloud, "We receive the due rewards of our deeds."

Nathan thought for a moment. "That's the penitent thief!"

"You're right," said Sam, "But what's the connection?"

Rafe shook his head, "Hey guys, let's just pretend I skipped all of Sunday School, what are you guys talking about?"

Sam decided to elaborate, "OK, during the crucifixion, Jesus is placed between two thieves. OK? One of them mocked Jesus, the other one," he pointed to the crucifix, "this guy, was penitent. He accepted his punishment with grace."

"And Jesus brought him to Heaven," Nathan said, "The Catholics named him Saint Dismas."

Suddenly, Sam started laughing, and he covered the back of his head with his hands.

"What?" said Nathan, "You figured it out?"

Sam pointed and said, "There is a cathedral of Saint Dismas…in Scotland."

Nathan's eyes widened and he said, "Wait, wait, the last sighting of Captain Avery was in Scotland!"

Sam nodded with an excited look in his eyes, "It can't be a coincidence."

Rafe chuckled, "You know I had my doubts about you two but…"

He handed the crucifix to Nathan, "Let's find Vargas and get out of this Hell-hole."

The three treasure hunters began walking out when somebody stepped in front of them. It was Gustavo and a bunch of other burly men with him.

Sam sighed, "Let me guess this is the guy you picked a fight with?"

"Yeah I didn't know he had so many…friends."

Gustavo started yelling at him in Spanish, and though Nathan's Spanish was rusty, he could tell he heard the words bleed, kill, and enjoy.

Sam stepped in front of Gustavo, "Hey man, let's just,"

Gustavo shoved Sam aside, "OK then," Sam replied before punching Gustavo in the face.

A brawl broke out. Nathan was suddenly being choked by a man, which he elbowed in the ribs to bring down.

He saw Rafe punch a guy out and shout, "Come on Nate did you have to pick the most popular guy in this joint?!"

Nathan saw at least six guys had come, and each of them were an equal match. Nathan was charged by a man, and he dodged right before the guy lunged, Nathan, using his momentum against him, punched him in the back of the head and knocked him out.

He heard Sam yell, "Nate! I could use your help here!"

Nathan ran over to see Sam being ganged on by two men. Nathan ran up, and kicked one of them in the back. The man fell over, and Nathan finished him off. Suddenly, Nathan saw the massively powerful Gustavo, and he was heading right for Nathan. Nathan tried to dodge, but Gustavo grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall trying to choke him. Nathan was able to slip out of his grasp and knee him in the gut. Gustavo grunted in pain and Nathan landed a massive pummel to Gustavo's ear. With a yell of pain, Gustavo hit the ground. Nathan was about to finish him off when two men grabbed each of his arms. Nathan struggled, but the men were too powerful. Gustavo got up, his one ear dripping blood, and he unsheathed a knife as he headed towards Nathan.

Suddenly Gustavo was clubbed in the head by a man wielding a massive stick. It was Vargas. Another skull shaking blow and Gustavo was knocked out cold. Vargas began shouting at the men in Spanish, and several other guards came in the room. One of them pushed Nathan against the wall and cuffed his hands. The guard whipped out the crucifix and Vargas took it.

Vargas glared at Nathan, "Are you bringing in contraband?"

"Vargas," said Nathan.

"Who do you think you are?!" shouted Vargas.

Nathan, Sam and Rafe were then taken away.

They were led to Vargas' office. When all three were in the room, Vargas demanded the other guards leave so he could talk in private. When they did, Vargas locked the doors, holding the crucifix in his hand.

"Took you long enough!" Rafe snarled, "We almost got killed!"

"You still might," said Vargas in a tone of voice Nathan didn't like at all. Vargas took a pistol out of his holster.

"Vargas," said Rafe, "Seriously?"

Vargas looked at the crucifix and said in a mocking tone, "Oh I didn't find anything, must be in a different tower…"

He tossed the crucifix to Nathan, "Well?" he demanded.

Nathan didn't say anything, and Vargas pointed his pistol at Nathan.

"Hey! Vargas come on! It's worthless, OK!"

Vargas' face went far angrier, "You think I'm an idiot!"

Rafe stepped in, "Vargas hey! If you want to renegotiate that's fine but stop acting like a third world thug! Put the gun away!"

Several tense seconds passed, and Vargas lowered the pistol with a chuckle.

"We're uh…Willing to give you ten percent."

Vargas laughed, "Think half."

Nathan was incredulous, "Hey we're doing most of the work here! Twenty! You can't find it without us."

Vargas stood there for several seconds, thinking.

"Twenty-five. Equals."

Rafe sighed, "Twenty five. Does that sound fair you guys?"

"Yeah sure…" Sam said visibly angry.

Nathan shrugged, "Hey four hundred million divides nicely into four."

That was that then. Nathan sighed.

Rafe held out his hand for Vargas to shake, "Then we have a deal."

"Yes we have a deal," said Vargas, "and if you ever cross me again-"

Suddenly Rafe pulled out a knife and stabbed Vargas in the side. Vargas tried to shoot, but Rafe stabbed viciously and ripped the gun out of Vargas' hand. Vargas collapsed to the ground, dead. Nathan didn't have time to react.

"What are you doing!?" shouted Nathan, "Are you out of your mind!? You can't just kill him!"

"We're sticking to the plan," said Rafe.

"Was this part of the plan!?"

"Just follow me!"

Rafe opened the door to the main building, "Guys we're heading to the lighthouse! Vargas said the boat is right under the lighthouse!"

Nathan could hear guards trying to break down the door. He ran over to a window. Guards began shooting him. He hid behind a wall. How did it come to this!

Nathan looked at Rafe, "How could you do that Rafe!"

Rafe didn't answer, just hid to avoid the bullets.

"Twenty five percent isn't worth a man's life!"

Rafe looked at Nathan, "It's worth far more than his!"

The guards stopped and Nathan lunged out the window and dropped down ten feet to the ground below. By now, sirens were sounding all over the prison, and people were all alerted. Nathan jumped over to a ladder and climbed up, bullets flying. On the rooftops, Nathan jumped from building to building. Each of the buildings were less than fifteen feet high. Nathan tried jumping a roof, but slipped and hit the ground. When he did, he saw several guards, but they were unarmed. There were only two, and Nathan began fighting one of them. Sam jumped down to help Nathan, but Rafe didn't, he went on ahead.

After beating the two guards, Nathan looked at Sam, "Where's Rafe?! I thought you trusted him!"

"I do," said Sam, "To a point…"

There was a vent below one of the buildings and Nathan entered. "He's going to leave without us isn't he?" shouted Nathan.

"Not if we're quick!" replied Sam.

They crawled through the vents.

"Ah, this place is like a maze!" said Sam.

"Yeah it's like they don't want us to leave or something."

Nathan emerged out behind the building where he saw Rafe.

"Rafe!" shouted Nathan, "Kick down that ladder for us!"

Rafe, who was on the rooftop, kicked the ladder down. Once again they were on the rooftops. Sam was on the building behind Nathan. The gap between the building and the prison wall Nathan was on was too far for Sam to jump. Nathan went prone and gave his hand.

"Come on Sam! Jump! Grab my hand!"

Sam jumped and Nathan grabbed him. A rain of bullets hit dangerously close to Nathan. Suddenly, Sam looked at Nathan, but Nathan saw something was wrong. Sam coughed, and blood came out. Nathan saw the bottom of Sam's shirt now had a massive red spot as the blood seeped in. He had been shot.

"No! Sam!" shouted Nathan. Sam's grip weakened.

"No!" shouted Nathan, "Sam! Don't let go! Don't!"

Sam's eyes closed, and his arm slipped. He fell down to the ground and crashed into a shed.

"No! Sam!" Nathan yelled.

Nathan breathed hard and tried to go down to Sam.

Rafe held him back, "Nathan! No, don't!"

"He's still down there!" Nathan cried desperately.

"No Nathan, he's gone!"

Nathan, still prone on the prison walls clawed at the ledge, trying to get to Sam, "No, I can't. He's still down there!"

"Nate!" Rafe said, "Your brother is dead. Either come with me or join him!"

Nathan couldn't move. He felt paralyzed, "No…Rafe please help!"

"Have it your way!" Rafe shouted as he abandoned Nathan and leapt out of the prison.

Nathan, with tears in his eyes got up, sobbing, and began running down to the end of the wall. Rafe was well ahead of him. He jumped into the thick jungle, and then slipping down the cliff, he saw the boat. He jumped off, and plummeted down the cliff. He only stopped screaming when he hit the water.


	3. Chapter 3: A Normal Life

Chapter 3

A Normal Life

Fifteen years later…

"Alright, made it to the bottom," said Nathan. "OK," said the voice. It was Jameson. Nathan, in his scuba gear took a breath out of his rebreather. The water here was crystal clear, and fish were swimming in all directions. The riverbed was rocky, and calm, with sand in places. There was tall waterweed flowing in all different directions. "According to your signal you're at the coordinates. Any sign of our haul?" Nathan replied, "No, not yet anyway. You got any pings from up there?" "Afraid not," said Jameson. Nathan continued swimming. Jameson had offered him a quick job of hauling up some items that had been lost on their last trip, when a shipwreck had dumped its cargo. He was a harbor master, and a stickler for doing things on schedule. "By my watch you're at a quarter tank," said Jameson, "Do you want to come up?" Nathan said back, "Nah, it can't be far." "If you don't find it soon I'm calling it," Jameson said through the radio, "I'll find it." Nathan said. Nathan kept swimming in the warm water, and then he saw something that looked like metal on the riverbed partially buried in sand. He swam up and brushed off the sand. "Hey I got something here," said Nathan, "What is it?" asked Jameson. Nathan began talking almost to himself, "No rust…right color…maybe it hit the rocks and tore off before tumbling…" "Hey," said Jameson, "You're mumbling." Nathan chuckled, "Sorry, it looks like a piece of our wreck. Must be close by." Jameson chuckled himself and said, "You're teasing me now Drake, you're teasing me." A short swim down the gently sloping floor and he came across a large metal cargo crate. "I found it," said Nathan. "How's it look?" asked Jameson. "It's beat up, but intact," replied Nathan. There was a large gash in the metal, too narrow for him to swim through, but large enough for him to see into the crate. Nathan radioed in, "Well most of the boxes are here…" "Can you get an accurate count?" asked Jameson, "No, I'd have to get inside for that," replied Nathan. Nathan looked and went over to the doors of the crate. After a bit of a struggle to undo the bolt, he opened the doors, and a school of small fish swam out. "Oh!" said Nathan as the tiny fish darted past, "Morning fellas." He took a few stokes inside before calling Jameson, "Alright I'm in." Jameson said, "Alright, how's the cargo?" Nathan replied, "Well most of it is still strapped down." Nathan went down to check the count. He called in, "OK, we're shy two crates. I'll go round them up." Jameson said, "You sure Drake? You're tank's getting low." Nathan brushed him off again, "They can't be far. Give me a sec." He turned around, and saw a large gash in the bottom of the trailer. Inside the gash was one of the crates, but it was pinned under the trailer. They would have to raise the trailer to get the other crate. Nathan gave the situation to Jameson, and after searching around the area, he found the other crate. "Alright," said Nathan, "Got them both." "Perfect timing," said Jameson, "We're right above you, sling is on the way down." After a few moments, the crane sling went down. He hooked the trailer up to the sling and they raised it up just enough for him to swim under and retrieve the crate that had been pinned. Nathan then swam inside the trailer, secured the crate, and swam over on top of the sling to hitch a ride up. After breaking the surface he heard Jameson say, "Ah there you are! How you feeling Drake?" "Well better now that I'm out of that river!" said Nathan, "I'm going to stink like fish for a week!" Hanging over top of the barge, Nathan sat down on the sling and worked his flippers off. After being lowered, Nathan took his rebreather off. "Good to have you back Drake!" a salvage worker called up. "Good to be back!" Nathan said. He tossed his gear down to the worker and jumped off the trailer. Some of the salvage workers had gathered at the trailer. Nathan left them to their work and walked over to Jameson. When Jameson saw Nathan come up he smiled and giving him a friendly slap on the back he said, "My hero!" Nathan chuckled and Jameson said, "Come on, let's see what you brought us." He walked with Jameson over to the crates and said, "Well let's see now…" He looked at Nathan, and holding out a crowbar said, "Care to do the honors?" Nathan took the crowbar, "Yeah sure," he said, "Thanks." He pried open the wooden crate and looked at the inside, "Well would you look at that," said Nathan, "We struck copper." Inside the crates were loops of copper. "You'd be surprised how much this stuff is worth," said Jameson, "Client's paying a lot of money for the full recovery. You didn't know that's what we were salvaging? Hm. I thought the client mentioned it. No matter." Nathan chuckled and said, "You sure you don't want to melt it down and make some pennies?" Jameson laughed and said, "Come on, let's celebrate! First round's on me." Nathan laughed, "Oh no! I'm not bar-hopping with you guys, not unless there's hazard pay. If you don't mind I'm just going to go home, do some paperwork and crash. Raincheck though?" Jameson nodded, "Alright. Suit yourself. Hey, good work today!" "Thanks," said Nathan as he looked at the boxes one last time.

Locking his trailer, he was about to get in his car to leave when he saw Jameson walk up, "Hey," said Nathan, "What are you doing in here?" Jameson said, "Uh…I got a present for you." "A present?" said Nathan. Jameson handed Nathan a sheet of paper, "What's this?" asked Nathan. "Got some news from my contact about that wreck off the coast of Malaysia…" Nathan chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Oh no…" Nathan said. Jameson was once again trying to get Nathan to sign onto the Malaysia Job. "The ship's intact," said Jameson, "Cargo's ripe for the picking." "You are a persistent one I'll give you that," said Nathan handing Jameson the paper. Jameson gently pushed his hand back and continued, "And…all the money came in for the equipment too. We're all set. Except of course, my best guy. The guy I trust for the job, the only one…he's got cold feet." Nathan said, "My feet were never warm to begin with. Tell me, this 'contact' of yours…he got the permits?" "No he can't get the permits. No-one can get the stupid permits," "Course not," said Nathan. Jameson continued his pitch, "But Nate, don't you see that works in our favor? No permits means no competition, the ship's ours!" "No permits means no go," Nathan said. Jameson put a hand on Nathan's shoulder and said, "Nathan look…this is retirement money. For the both of us. Now I don't know about you, but I don't want to be working on salvage when I'm sixty. Do you?" Nathan thought for a moment. Didn't salvage jobs pay upwards of eighty-thousand a year? "Sure beats prison." He sighed, "Listen, I have to pass. And so should you." Nathan tried once again to hand the paper to Jameson, but Jameson made one last valiant attempt, "Just take it with you, humor me OK?" Nathan shook his head, "I'm not going to change my mind!" Jameson said, "Well it don't hurt to sleep on it, does it?" Nathan folded the paper with a sigh, and turning to leave he said, "Say hi to Carla and the kids for me," Nathan waved, and Jameson called one last time, "No pressure Nate…But think about it!" Nathan waved one last time, shaking his head.

Looking at the paper Jameson gave him, Nathan thought long and hard. "Man you've really done your research on this…" Nathan said to himself as he sat at his desk, "It would make on great find…No! No, no way!" He folded the paper and put it in his filing cabinet. He got up. His office was inside the attic, which was filled with relics of his past adventures all over the world. A small idol he had found deep in China, notes from all over the world, old letters. Tenzin's jacket, a small silver skull. Looking on his bookshelf was a treasure he had a special place for. A small gold doubloon found in a German U-boat in the middle of the jungle. Then there was a photo of Nathan, his friend Sully, and Elena at the beach. He had married Elena after that. There was also a photo of Nathan with Tenzin. He sighed. He missed Tenzin. Another treasure was a puzzle from Sir Francis Drake. He'd never forget the phrase, "Long gone." Walking from his desk to the other end of the room, he opened a box that he seldom opened. It was Sam's things. Inside was a photo of Nathan and Sam. He was about to take it out, but decided not to. He didn't want to go through seeing his brother again. The crucifix with the penitent thief was also in the box. He had never taken up finding Captain Avery's treasure again. Sighing he shut the box. When he looked up, he saw his favorite plastic Nerf gun. Smiling he took it up. There was still some foam darts in it. Chuckling he looked up at the ceiling. He had hung up targets on the ceiling for such times. He quickly grabbed the plastic pistol and said, "Oh no! Here they come! I'm surrounded." Hiding behind a shelf, he quickly shot one of the targets, "Take that!" he said. Somersaulting to the next shelf, he shot another target, "Gotcha!" he said. He heard his wife Elena call from downstairs, "Hey Nate! You coming down to eat?" Nathan called back, "Uh, yeah! Be right there!" he shot again, "Eat plastic!" Chuckling, he walked over to the holster and put the Nerf gun back. "Well, play time's over," he said. He walked down the ladder out of the attic. He walked into Elena's office and looked at her desk. On it was a Bangkok travel guide. He chuckled, another article probably. On the wall were many of Elena's awards. He looked at a photo of him and Elena on vacation. He wanted to go on more vacations, but his entire life had been filled with danger and adventure. Was it wrong to want to finally settle down? Looking at another corner was the largest photo in Elena's office. It was a photo of their wedding day. Nathan chuckled, the wonderful memories coming back. It was their first kiss. Sully had been their best man. While most people would get married at a church, that wasn't quite exotic enough for him and Elena. They had gotten married on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Well, enough time down memory lane, Nathan went down the staircase. He saw Elena on her laptop sitting on the couch. Elena was wearing a loose pink button down shirt with khaki pants. She had her blonde hair up in a ponytail, and her attractive face was covered in a look of extreme concentration. Looking up at Nathan, she smiled and said, "You were up there a long time," said Elena with a smile, "I was researching something," Nathan said with a grin. "Oh is that what we're calling it these days?" Elena chuckled. "Hey would you mind grabbing the food?" asked Elena, "I'm just wrapping up here." Nathan nodded, "Sure." He walked over to the counter and picked up two bowls of soup. Nathan had always loved Elena's soup. Walking back to the couch he heard Elena type faster and harder than she had been before. A cue she was on her finishing sentence. Just as he sat down Elena gasped, "Oh done!" she closed her laptop and set it on the coffee table before stretching. "Finish it?" asked Nathan. "Yeah," Elena said. "Good for you," said Nathan. Elena shrugged and said, "You know, it's probably too long, and full of typos, but that's what editors are for right?" Elena brushed some of her blonde hair away from her eyes and took her spoon. "Gosh, I'm starving!" Elena said as she tucked in. She began eating far faster than normal. "So," said Elena with her mouth full, "Hww wzz yr dy?" Nathan laughed, "What? Got none of that." Elena chuckled, "Sorry. How was your day?" "Oh," Nathan said, "It was fine. Typical day in paradise. I got to pull a bunch of garbage out of a river." "Ooh!" Elena said, "Yeah…" Nathan said. "At least you got to go for a swim," said Elena, "Did you find any exciting garbage?" "Oh," said Nathan, "Brilliant stuff. It was an early twenty-first century truck. Apparently the natives called it a semi." "Oh brother," Elena said. "Boring stuff," Nathan said, "Have you been thinking about maybe starting up your TV show again?" Elena sighed, "Well…I don't know. It just seems like I went from TV show host to journalist right before we sort of retired. Right now I'm just writing articles for the magazine. That's enough for now." Nathan nodded."Tell me about the article." Elena spooned more soup into her mouth, this time swallowing and said after thinking a bit, "Well…it started out as this fluff piece. About tourism in Bangkok, but I don't think the magazine is going to like that angle since everyone that got off the plane started complaining of how rude the smog was, like a shock to the lungs, the second you got off the plane…" Nathan listened and then looked off into the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Propped against it was a huge painting of the jungles of Nepal. The painting depicted foaming turquoise seas below white, chalky cliffs. Tall spires of rock towered above the beach, and a bright blue sky covered the thick green jungles like a—Nathan felt something tap him on the shoulder. "Wha?" Nathan asked. Elena gave Nathan a look and said, "Where are you?" "What?" said Nathan, "Just keep going, it was very interesting!" "Oh," said Elena, "Interesting, what's my article about?" A few awkward seconds, "What?" Nathan asked, biding time. "This one?" Elena kept her eyes on Nathan, "Mmm-Hmm" Elena said still looking at Nathan. Nathan decided to risk it, "Uh…the people of…uh…Bangkok. About the smog and how they can't uh…get a flight anywhere and people can't breathe…" Elena smiled, "Wow…" she said. Nathan chuckled, "Alright I'm sorry. I usually don't drift off like that you have to admit!" Elena said, "Granted, still that was a valiant attempt." "I was in the ballpark right?" Nathan said. Elena replied, "In a different state but yeah you were in a ballpark." They both chuckled, and Nathan sighed deeply. A few seconds passed, and Elena said, "Jameson asked you about the Malaysia Job again." "Jameson always asks me about the Malaysia Job," Nathan replied. "Look Nate, I really think you should take it," Elena said. Nathan thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You know what, I don't want it. Really. I mean he doesn't have the permits, and we agreed we're not going to take that kind of work anymore, it's dishonest and it's not worth it." Elena said, "OK, but it doesn't sound that risky. Nobody owns it. You could call Sullivan." Nathan shook his head, "Look, honey I just," "You haven't seen him in what two years?" Elena said. "Look, baby can we please just drop this?" Nathan asked. Elena said, "Alright, I just don't want you to not take it because of me." Nathan said, frustrated, "I'm not taking it because of me OK?" He sighed. "Look I appreciate the gesture it's just…" He didn't finish. Elena got up after a few seconds and said, "Well I'm going to go and do the dishes." Nathan took her arm and said, "No I'll do them." "You did them last night," Elena said. "No," said Nathan, "You cooked, I clean. It's fine. How about…How about I earn the right to do them, how about I play you for it?" Elena looked confused, "Play me for it?" "Yeah," Nathan said, "How about I try and beat your high-score on your TV game thing." "My TV game thing?" Elena said. "Yeah," said Nathan I've seen you play it in your spare time, and it's just running and jumping which I have a natural talent for." "Oh please," said Elena, "Ooh so you're scared now?" Nathan said. He began clucking like a chicken. Elena nodded, and walked over to her small game console. While Elena would occasionally play video games on her old first gen console when she had no other work to do, or articles to write, Nathan never understood video games. He had no desire to play them, and considered them a waste of time. Why play video games when you could do half the stuff on them in real life? The console turned on and it started to load. "Is this it?" asked Nathan. "No," said Elena, "It has to load." "Load?" asked Nathan, "Yes," A few more loops of the loading circle and Nathan said, "This is taking a really long time." Elena rolled her eyes and said, "You have no patience." That much was true…"When you turn something on," said Nathan, "You expect it to…" the main menu for the game popped up, "Oh OK, here we go." Elena had chosen the Jungle Fox Jumper game for Nathan, one that she knew he'd mess up on badly. Not knowing how to start the game Nathan said, "OK so uh…How do you make it go?" Elena said, "You push the start button." "I knew that," Nathan said. Elena gave him a look with a mischievous smile on her face. The game started, and Elena said, "OK, you have to run towards the camera." The game was a simple jumper game, with you as a fox in a jungle. You had to jump over obstacles and smash crates for apples. The camera was in front of the fox. Nathan didn't know what to say. People did this in their spare time? Why? This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen. Still, the zany jungle music was pretty cool… The fox began running close to a ravine, and Elena continued her tutorial, "Alright, use the X button to jump." "Right," said Nathan, "Which one's X? Oh got it." Suddenly a huge boulder began chasing the fox. "Alright run away from the boulder," said Elena. "Why is the boulder chasing me?" Nathan asked, "I did nothing to this boulder!" The fox smashed some crates, and Nathan kept going with his critiquing. "Why is a fox smashing crates? That's not realistic…and why is he wearing jeans?" Suddenly Nathan's fox fell in a pit. A "Game Over," screen came on, along with music that sounded almost too much like the Price is Right fail jingle. "What happened?" Nathan asked, "You fell in a pit," Elena said, "Can't I climb out?" Nathan asked, "Nope, you're dead." said Elena. Nathan shook his head and said, "Well that's not realistic. If it were me I'd just climb out. He should learn to climb. Climbing's always helped me." After dodging multiple boulders, fences and pits, Nathan made it to the end of the level. He saw the score come up. His score was 2130. Elena's high score was 3500. The fox made a sad face and he went back to the main menu. Nathan was stunned. "What?" he said holding his hands up, "That's it!?" Elena laughed and looked at Nathan with a twinkle in her eye, "You asked for it," she said. Elena stretched again while Nathan sat in the gutter of defeat. "You have to be kidding me!" Nathan said, "I practically had it!" Elena put her arms around Nathan and said "Hey, you can always give it another shot. Come on, double or nothing my car could use a good cleaning…" "Really?" Nathan said, "Really you're going to go there?" Elena said, "There's this mode called easy mode, I can just switch it on, it's way easier in easy mode…" Nathan shook his head, "Just keep talking, keep talking." "What are you going to do?" Elena taunted, "I'm warning you," Nathan said with a laugh. Elena said, "Come on chicken? Huh?" Nathan went into pouncing position, "One last warning!" "Elena said, "Show me!" Nathan pounced and they both wrestled each other to the floor laughing. Laying beside each other Elena looked at Nathan and said, "Hey?" Nathan said, "Yes?" "Are you happy?" Elena asked. Nathan chuckled and said, "Of course!" Nathan said, "I have a beautiful wife who I adore with all my heart, a lovely house to spend time with her in, and so many other things. You?" Elena looked like she was thinking and said, "Um…" Nathan laughed, "Um?" he said, "Really?" Elena looked at Nathan and said, "Come here." All too ready to oblige, Nathan kissed his wife tenderly. Before he had married Elena, Nathan never really knew what love was. Now, he knew he still never would. It was far too wonderful for any man to truly know.

Signing papers was one of Nathan's hated pastimes. He had gotten up bright and early to finish some business regarding the salvage. He now wondered why he even bothered about permits. After all, the only thing they created was just more paperwork! He just kept signing, stamping, and folding countless sheets. He was inside his office at the docks, and Jameson hadn't even shown up yet. He heard a knock on the office door. He sighed, "We're not open yet!" Nathan said. A few seconds, and the person knocked again. Nathan raised an eyebrow, maybe the person didn't hear. He said a bit louder, "We're closed!" There. No way that the person didn't hear. Another knock. Nathan rolled his eyes, "Come on man," he said under his breath, before getting up and saying, annoyed, "Alright! I'm coming, I'm coming!" He marched over to the door, "Idiot…" he said to himself. He opened the door to see the man. His back was turned and he was looking through the papers on the table in the middle of the room. "Can I help you?" asked the aggravated Nathan. The man said, "Yeah, uh…I'm looking for my younger brother." Nathan's heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice. "He's about your height," said the man, who now turned. Nathan knew who it was. That face was unmistakable. "A little leaner, definitely less gray in the temples." Nathan stepped back, unbelieving, "Sam?" Nathan asked. Sam nodded and said, "It's good to see you again Nathan." Nathan felt himself getting choked up, he stepped forward and embraced his brother, "Oh Sam!" Sam laughed and said, "Hey! Whoa! Alright take it easy pal." Nathan stepped back and asked the question, "How? I thought you…Sam I saw you get shot!" "Yes you did," replied Sam, "Right here," Sam lifted his shirt. There was not just one, not two, but three bullet-holes in Sam's lower stomach. Sam shook his head and said, "The doctors they patched me up and tossed me right back into the cell." Sam walked into Nathan's office, and Nathan said, "Yeah but…I made calls! I checked everywhere for you. Everything I've heard, everything I've found confirmed that you…you were dead." Sam shook his head and replied, "Nate we killed a guard. The guards there wanted to see me rot in that cell for the rest of my life, and I nearly did." Nathan still was trying to take it all in. "Oh Sam I…If I would've known I swear to you I would've come back-" "I know you would've Nathan," said Sam, "I know Nathan…I know. The important thing is that I'm out." Nathan was still unbelieving, he said, "Hey, let's go outside. I could use some air…" They walked out onto the dock, the waters of the river lapping against the concrete wall. Sam chuckled and said, "You're not going to pass out on me are you?" Nathan replied, "I just might…It's a lot to digest!" Sam took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Faint trails of smoke drifted into the air. Nathan still wanted to know more, and he asked, "Sam still, how did you get out? When did you get out? How'd you even get here to find me?" Sam held his hand out, "Alright, alright Nathan!" Sam said with a chuckle, "Slow down. Have a seat." The two men sat down on the bench. Sam looked at Nathan and said, "Hey, I want to hear about you." Nathan laughed, "Me? What's to tell?" "Well," said Sam, "I called some of the old contacts, they tell me some pretty crazy stories." Nathan rolled his eyes, "Oh, what stories?" Sam said, "Well, gut-shot, hanging from a derailed train in the Himalayas," Nathan said, "Well…Yeah, that…that actually happened." Sam shook his head and said, "Ah come on man! What did I miss?" Nathan sighed. He had been on so many wild and extraordinary adventures. All while he thought Sam was dead, he had explored the globe finding artifacts and relics, "Ah Sam where do I start?" Sam replied, "Start with the best part?" Nathan thought… "OK," he said, "Do you remember the theory that we had that Sir Francis Drake faked his own death?" "Yeah," said Sam. "He did," said Nathan, "I found the coffin." "Off the coast of Panama?" Sam asked. "Yes!" replied Nathan. "OK," said Nathan, "Get this, I open the thing, and there's no body. But…at the bottom, is his old journal. Man…wait till you hear what happened next…"

"I mean what can I say…another lost city destroyed…but we made it out alive. Barely." Nathan finished telling his tale of his discovery of El Dorado. The sun had come up, and the river was now busy with boats coming back and forth. Sam took a thoughtful drag on his cigarette before blowing the smoke out in a whistle. "Unbelievable," he said. "Yeah," said Nathan, "Yeah it was. Wish you could've been there." "No," said Sam, "I mean it's literally unbelievable." He made a motion with his hand and said, "I mean you tell me you stumble upon yet another archaeological gold mine and somehow…you managed to walk away…with nothing." Nathan threw up his hand and replied, "Well it's the story of my life I guess…But you know I managed to grab a few trinkets here and there. Paid off the house, the car, the engagement ring…hey, the engagement ring, I'm married! Elena from the stories? She's my wife! You have to come meet her! Tonight, dinner. At my place; you're coming to dinner, I can tell her all about you." Nathan got up from the bench and Nathan suddenly realized what that meant. "Crap I have to tell her all about you…" Sam sighed and walked over to the dock railing. "Nathan," said Sam, "I'm in a lot of trouble here." Nathan was concerned, "What? What kind of trouble." He walked over beside Sam, leaning against the railing. Sighing once more, and closing his eyes, Sam said, "Does the name Hector Alcazar mean anything to you?" Nathan thought for a moment, "Yeah," he said, "He's the drug lord, the Butcher of Panama, right?" Nathan felt a knot in his gut, "Why?" Sam still stood there, seeming reluctant to answer. "Funny story," Sam said, "But um…Last year he was my cell mate." Nathan didn't say anything. Sam said, "So this is how I got out of prison…"

Just a few more. Sam was exercising in his cell. Just because he was in prison didn't mean he couldn't stay in shape. Sweat on his temple, Sam stopped for a breather and looked at Alcazar, who was staring out of the cell door. "What, you're not reading tonight?" Sam said still sitting on the cold, hard floor. Alcazar's answer was shadowy. "Samuel come here," he said with coldness. Sam got up and walked over to the door. Alcazar looked at Sam and said, "The guards. They're singing." Sam shrugged and said, "Well yeah, they're probably drunk." "Perhaps," said Alcazar, "But they are content." Sam looked out. Then Alcazar said, "How can they be content with their small lives? Their miserable jobs?" Sam chuckled and said, "Well they have wives to go home to. What have we got?" Sam walked over to his mat on the floor. "We have ambition," Alcazar said, "And when we get out of here, that ambition will take us to places these idiots can't even imagine." Sam laid down on the mat and said, "Well, amen to your optimism." He closed his eyes and sighed. Alcazar said, "What will you do when you get out of here Samuel?" Sam laughed, "That's if I get out of here. I'm sure you can imagine." "I can," Alcazar responded, "But I want you to say it." Sam chuckled and said, "I will find the greatest pirate treasure of all time. Which I'm sure you're sick of hearing by now." "Oh no," said Alcazar, "The thought of Captain Avery's four hundred million in gold and jewels has become a sweet lullaby for me." He paused for a moment, then said, "Do you really think you can find it?" Sam thought for a second, "Given the opportunity…absolutely!" Alcazar chuckled, "Ambition," he said, "What is that Avery quote?" Sam repeated the quote of the captain, "I am a man of fortune, and I must seek my fortune." Alcazar thought for a bit then said, "I like how he thinks." Suddenly Sam heard a gunshot, and people yelling. He lurched up in bed, though Alcazar didn't seem surprised at all. "What was that?" Sam asked, to which Alcazar replied, "The opportunity of a lifetime." Sam looked to see masked men in bulletproof vests come towards the cell holding AK's at the ready. They greeted Alcazar and talked to him in Spanish. Alcazar took a pistol from the henchman, and then, looking at Sam he said, "Samuel, are you ready to seek your fortune?" Sam thought for a moment, he could either rot in this cell for a crime he didn't commit and had no part in, or he could have this one chance at escape. "Yes," he said, before leaving the cell for what he hoped would be the last time.


	4. Chapter 4: Rossi Heist

Chapter 4

Rossi Heist

Sam began running down the hallway beside Alcazar. He couldn't help feeling he was getting involved with a person that was very dangerous. "How long have you had this planned?" Sam asked. "Since the moment I set foot in this place," Alcazar said, "Samuel keep up! We have to move quickly!" Sam passed several dead guards in the hall. He was getting more and more uneasy about the entire situation. Soon they entered the main guardhouse, and Sam saw even more dead guards. There was one guard clutching his arm and as Alcazar approached he begged for mercy. Alcazar shot him in the head. Sam gasped. He knew Alcazar was an evil man, but he had never seen him act so ruthless. Turning to face Sam, and taking note of his horrified face, Sam said, "These guards are sadistic. We're doing the world a favor huh?" Sam thought he knew who the true sadist was. "Here," said Alcazar handing Sam a pistol, "You'll need this. You remember how to use it?" Sam took the pistol reluctantly, "Yeah it'll come back to me," he said. Sam didn't want to kill anybody, and he wouldn't shoot to kill. He saw Alcazar look at one of the henchmen and command something in Spanish. Then he saw him grab the keys for all the cells. Sam looked at Alcazar and said, "Hector don't! You do that and you'll start a riot!" Alcazar laughed, "Exactly!" he said. Suddenly he heard the cell doors open, and dozens of inmates exploded out. Alcazar's men handed out pistols and clubs. Sam put his hands behind his head, he felt like he could throw up. Suddenly Alcazar's men burst into the prison yard, accompanied by dozens of angry prisoners ready to draw blood. Sam hid behind a wall as bullets began whistling past him, guards poured into the yard and started shooting. Sam didn't want to hurt any of the guards, but at this point he knew he might have to. He wouldn't kill unless his life depended on it. Sam rushed to the next shelter, hiding from the rain of bullets. It was now a full blown riot. Guards were clubbing and shooting, and the henchmen and inmates were shooting back. Sam saw the bloodthirsty Alcazar throw a smoke bomb into the main yard. Afterwards he clubbed a guard to death before moving onwards. Sam kept going, smoke burned his eyes and nostrils. As he ran closer and closer to the edge of the yard, he felt somebody grab his neck. It was one of the guards. He desperately tried to escape his grip, and Alcazar came to his rescue. He clubbed the guard with the butt of his AK. They continued on, but then that part of the yard ended. They would have to go through another building to leave. Several guards were gunned down, and then Alcazar beckoned, "Come on Samuel." Sam followed until they reached a dead end room. It was blocked by a huge metal prison door. Sam saw several people cower behind a desk. "Get behind something Samuel!" shouted Alcazar, Samuel obeyed, and his eardrums nearly burst as a gigantic explosion went off in the room. The door had been bombed out. Sam rushed out, and back outside. It was an alleyway between buildings. A guard blocked the way, and Sam engaged hand-to-hand. He knocked the guard out, but didn't kill him. Continuing on as quickly as he could, Sam went back inside a building. He could see a clear exit, and he made a break for it, not caring where Alcazar was at anymore. Suddenly, they reached the center of the prison yard. The main building had a massive gun turret on top which a guard was using. "Take cover!" shouted a voice. It was Alcazar. Suddenly, the turret exploded into a ball of flame, rock and mortar flying in all directions, "See!" Alcazar laughed, "I came prepared!" Running ever closer to the entrance of the prison yard and freedom, more buildings and barracks exploded, the inmates, armed with bombs, were blowing the entire prison up! Guards kept shooting, but Sam didn't bother with them, they he was too close to the exit. Suddenly, he saw the wall! Leaping up and over, Sam jumped on top of the wall and down the other side. There were several vans waiting, Alcazar inside of one, beckoned Sam to jump in. When he did, they closed the door, and made good their escape.

Sam, inside of Alcazar's van, breathed heavily. He was drenched with sweat, and in shock about everything that had just happened. Alcazar gave him a canteen and said, "Here, Samuel, drink." Oh no I'm good," said Sam, "Better than good actually." "No," said Alcazar, "You're dehydrated, drink." Sam took it and drank. "So," said Alcazar, "What's next for Samuel Drake?" Sam sighed, "What is next?" he said, "Well I'm going to take a bath, sleep on a real bed, track my brother down…That seems like a pretty good start." "Yeah," said Alcazar, "It is." They paused, until Alcazar said, "So, how long do you think it will take to retrieve Avery's treasure huh?" Sam said, "Uh…I don't know. I mean, I get back to the States I can resume my search." Alcazar snatched the canteen from Sam's hand and snapped, "How long?" Sam shrugged, "It's kind of hard to say until I get the search on." "You said you know where it is." Alcazar said. Sam replied, "Yeah I do but…I mean it's not like Avery left a map with a big red X on it, OK? I mean I have some very solid leads," Alcazar spoke to the driver something Sam didn't hear. Suddenly, the van came to a stop. Sam saw what was happening, "Oh OK. Wait a minute. Hey!" The van door opened, and one of the henchmen came, and threw Sam from the van onto the ground. One of the guards pulled a pistol on Sam, who was breathing hard. Alcazar motioned for the man not to shoot. He loomed over Sam like an executioner and said, "I like you Samuel. More importantly, I believed you. That is why you are here." Sam looked at Alcazar, "Look I can get it, OK? Just give me some time!" he begged. He went to one of the henchmen and grabbed a knife. Alcazar crouched to Sam's eye level, holding the knife ready in his hand, "You see," said Alcazar, "I'm having all these doubts enter my mind." Sam, breathing heavily said, "Hector. Listen to me. I will find it." Alcazar shoved Sam's head into the ground, and held the cold, sharp edge of the knife to his throat. "How…long?" asked Alcazar. Sam didn't say anything, but when Alcazar pressed the blade a little harder Sam replied, "Six months." Alcazar laughed and said, "People are lazy. They always ask for more time than they actually need. Three months." Sam gasped and said in a panicky voice, "What! Three months is imposs-" "Three months!" Alcazar growled, "Half the treasure. Can you do it? Say it." Sam said quickly, "Three months! Half the treasure." Alcazar stared at Sam and said, "Now listen. If you try to run, or try to hide the treasure, or do something really stupid like go to the authorities, I'll know. And when you least expect it, I will be there. At that point, death is not a mercy I will grant you." Sam felt the knife leave his throat. He gasped and felt Alcazar help him up. "Here," Alcazar said, "Come on. The nearest town is ten kilometers in that direction, towards the sunrise." He handed Sam some money and a canteen, "It's been a while since we've seen the sunrise outside." He patted Sam on the back. Alcazar hopped into the van. "When I find it," Sam called back, "What then?" "Don't worry," replied Alcazar, "When the time comes, I'll be there to collect." "Adios Samuel." With that, the vans all drove off in a cloud of dust, leaving Samuel behind.

"So, Alcazar lets me go and here we are." Sam finished telling his story to Nathan. Nathan didn't respond right away. He had no idea what to say. "This is bad…" Nathan said. "We'll just pick up the trail where we left off and…" Sam said. "Trail?" Nathan said, "Sam there's no trail! After Rafe and I escaped he took up his parents entire fortune and bought all the land around St. Dismas cathedral. We combed that place for weeks. Avery's treasure isn't there." Not that that stopped Rafe. Moron's been digging for years. Still hasn't turned up squat." Sam took a drag of his cigarette. "Not really surprised," Sam said. Nathan raised an eyebrow, "What does that mean?" he asked. "Well," said Sam, "I happen to have been doing a little digging of my own." He pulled a piece of paper out of his coat pocket and said, "I'll bet you Rafe doesn't have this." Nathan unfolded the sheet of paper. It was a screenshot of a listing of an item on an online marketplace. It was the St. Dismas crucifix. "It's just the St. Dismas cross," Nathan said. "Oh is it?" Sam said, "Because I remember our cross being broken and hollow remember?" Nathan looked closer at the picture. "Holy crap it's still intact!" he said. After thinking for a moment he said, "Avery made more than one cross." Sam nodded and said, "So whatever was missing from the one we found in Panama…" "Is probably still inside this one." Nathan finished. Sam nodded. Nathan, getting excited said, "Alright! Where is this?" Sam said, "Oh, this exquisite piece, is going up for auction in three days, at the Rossi Estate." Nathan stood for a second. "The Rossi Estate?" "Oh you know it?" asked Sam. "Uh, yeah!" Nathan said, "Just how do you plan on securing an invite to an exclusive, heavily armored black market auction?" Sam shrugged, "Well you don't necessarily need an invitation per se…" "Yeah," said Nathan, "And where are you going to get the money to outbid all the high rollers? I could take a second mortgage out on my house and it still wouldn't be enough to…" Sam just stared out into the river blowing smoke from his cigarette. Nathan sighed, "Yep, you're going to try and steal it aren't you?" "No." said Sam, "We are." Nathan looked at Sam and throwing up his hand he said, "No. No man, I can't." "What!?" Sam asked. "No Sam I'm not doing that kind of thing anymore! There's other guys who are much more equipped to do stuff like that." "Like who?" asked Sam. Nathan didn't have a ready reply. "Look Nathan," said Sam, "I need you on this one. Time isn't on my side. Neither is Alcazar. I need your help. Please Nathan!" Nathan looked into Sam's desperate eyes. He sighed. He didn't want to steal anything, but was stealing a little cross worth the life of his brother…he thought for a moment. Sighing, he dialed a number on his cell phone. "Hey hon, it's me," he said, "Uh, you're not going to believe this. Jameson just walked in with the permits so uh…I'm going to be taking that Malaysia Job after all…"

Scoping out the Rossi estate high above, Sam and Nathan both looked through their binoculars. They were in Italy, near Barcelona, and Nathan watched as cars begun entering the cobblestone parking lot. The cars were clearly owned by the super-rich. Lamborghinis, McLaren's, Ferrari's, and other incredibly expensive cars were being driven into the lot by the valets. The two men were on top of the cliff high above the estate. The actual estate itself was extremely large, box shaped, and extremely ornate. It had a definite Italian villa look to it, and was what you'd expect a black market mansion to look like. A white Lotus pulled into the lot, and passed by the large fountain centerpiece. Looking at a blueprint of the mansion, Nathan looked at Sam and asked, "See anything yet?" Sam replied, "Just a bunch of high-class, low-life criminals all cleaned up for prom…" the white Lotus' passengers entered the mansion, and the valet took the car back to the lot. Sam looked through his binoculars again and said, "Still no sign of Sullivan yet." Nathan shook his head and said, "Well we've still got plenty of time." He looked back at the map and after a bit said, "Looks like the storage room is in the building behind the manor. Can you see it from up there?" Sam had been sitting right above Nathan on a rock ledge. He replied, "Uh…Yeah, but just the top of it. Man I wonder what they got tucked away in there…" Nathan sighed and said, "Let's just focus on Avery's cross OK? That's why we're here." Sam chuckled and said, "I don't know. You sure you don't want to pick up something for your wife?" Nathan rolled his eyes, "That's cute." He said, "Just keep it simple." "Right, simple," replied Sam as he jumped down to Nathan's level. Sam said, "It could be a whole lot simpler if it was just the two of us…" "Sam," Nathan said. "I mean we could be inside already!" Sam said while pointing at the manner. Nathan shook his head and replied, "No, not cleanly." Nathan tightened the straps on his shoes and Sam said, "You haven't thought of a backup plan in case Sullivan gets cold feet?" Nathan replied, "No. Because he won't. He's going to slide his way through the party, get upstairs, unlock the window and we're in. it's a solid plan." "Uh-huh." Sam said with gritted teeth. He was bouncing his hand up and down, looking incredibly nervous. Nathan sighed, "Go ahead, say it." "What if he stole the cross for himself!?" Nathan replied, "Not in a million years!" "Victor Sullivan," said Sam, "We're both talking about the same Victor right?" "Yes," said Nathan, "He's double-crossed people in the past, but not us," "No," said Sam, "Not you." Nathan got up and said, "Look, I know you two have never seen eye to eye," Sam huffed, "Huge understatement." "But I trust him alright," said Nathan, "He's family! Look. I just need you to trust him too." Sam shook his head, "Fine," he sighed. "He'll come through for us," said Nathan. He looked through his binoculars, "Eventually," he said under his breath. One last time Sam tried to convince Nathan of Sullivan's untrustworthiness. "Look Nathan, you could at least entertain the possibility that-" "There!" Nathan said. He pointed to the window. Inside, a lamp was flashing on and off. "See," said Nathan, "Trust!" Sam didn't say anything. He merely huffed and began making for the mansion. Nathan shook his head and followed. The cliff they were on gently sloped towards the mansion, they'd just have to sneak up. They were wearing zipped up mountaineering suits, and underneath that were their tuxedos. Jogging down Sam said, "I just can't believe I'm out. Can't believe I'm here…with you, it Italy huh?" "Yeah me either," said Nathan, "I just wish the circumstances were less tense…" "Yeah well…" Sam replied. "The sights are a bit more enjoyable that way," said Nathan. Sam looked back at Nathan and said, "Oh…so this isn't your first time here?" Nathan replied, "No, it's more like my…third. Had a couple of odd jobs." "With Sullivan?" Sam said. Nathan rolled his eyes. Soon they reached the edge of the cliff. The mansion was overlooking the ocean, and was perched right next to a cliff edge. This provided Sam and Nathan with the perfect way to sneak up on the mansion. They each jumped off the ledge and shimmied their way over a small ledge just wide enough to allow them to walk. After inching over to the last part of the cliff, they reached the back of the mansion. Nathan was about to walk into the yard when Sam stopped him, "Shh!" he said, "Hold up." Nathan stopped, and soon he saw two men, each with AK's, both talking in Italian. When they entered the mansion Nathan said, "OK, we're good." They each clambered onto the yard. Sam whistled and said, "Man did you see him? That rent-a-thug was packing some serious heat. Should've brought guns." Nathan replied, "Sam we're going to pull this off so smoothly we won't need them." They continued through the yard, which was adjacent to the mansion. It was filled with twisting citrus fruit trees. The smell of it permeated the air. Walking closer to the window Sam said, "Hey, about those treasure hunts, the ones I missed, you got any photos?" Nathan sighed, "Yeah I wish. Elena filmed some of it but the camera didn't make it." Sam stood there for a second, "That's too bad," he said. Nathan said, "Well I do have some drawings. When we get back I can show you." Sam looked at Nathan and said, "Drawings?" he said with a tone of condescension, "What are they up on the fridge or something?" Nathan huffed, "No, they're good drawings!" That much was true; wasn't just Nathan's ego talking. The only photos Nathan still had didn't show any of the archaeological wonders, but group pics with Elena or Sullivan, who Nathan affectionately called Sully. The yard sloped up to the mansion, though Nathan would have to climb up the back of the house in order to get inside. He saw a balcony right under their entry window, and decided to use his grappling hook to repel up the side of the building. Sam got out his hook and began swinging it like a lasso. Nathan chuckled, Sam had always bragged on how good he was with a grappling hook. Nathan decided to have some fun, "It would stink if you missed right now Sam," Sam chuckled himself, "Yeah it would," he said. He tossed up the hook, and it looped and latched perfectly on the balcony railing, "But I don't miss." Nathan huffed and shook his head. He let Sam climb up, and then he jumped, grabbed the rope, and latched on himself. After reaching the balcony, he went right to the window, "Hey Nathan," Sam said, "What?" Nathan asked. Sam unzipped his suit. "Oh, right," Nathan said. They took off their suits and immediately looked much more suited to a black market auction. Sam breathed quick, and looked like he was getting warmed up for a triathlon. "You OK?" asked Nathan. Sam replied, "Yeah! How do I look?" Nathan shook his head, "Like four hundred million bucks. Let's go!" "Alright," Sam replied, "Right behind you." As Nathan jumped in the window, he smelled tobacco smoke. A smell he knew all too well. Walking in the room, he saw an older gentleman sitting in a gloomy area of the room on a red velvet sofa. "Sully?" asked Nathan. The man blew another whiff of smoke and said in a hearty, gruff voice, that had a distinct friendly tone, "You know what I like about partying with a bunch of crooks?" Nathan chuckled, "What's that?" he asked. The man switched on the light, and said, "Nobody cares if you smoke indoors!" The man had a friendly, carefree face, a grey head and moustache, and he looked at Nathan with a grin. "It's been a while," Nathan said holding his arms out wide. "Too long boy!" The man was Sully, one of Nathan's oldest and best friends, even though to Nathan, he was more of a father figure. He had been a former treasure hunter, but old age had brought on a well-earned retirement, and the treasure he found had given him quite a bit to live on as well. Nathan looked at Sam and said, "You remember my dead brother right?" Sam walked towards Sully respectfully. "Victor," Sam said. Sully whistled and said, "Well I'll be darned. Hm. Fifteen years?" "Yep," Sam replied. Sully held out his hand and said, "Good to see you alive Sam." Sam took Sully's hand and shook it. Nathan went back to the mission at hand, "Alright," he said, "Let's try to keep him alive by getting the captain's cross huh?" Sully looked like something had happened. He sighed and said, "Yeah, uh…about that…" "What?" said Sam feeling nervous, "What about that?" "Come on," said Sully, "Let me show you something." Sully led the two men out into the gigantic main auction room. It was elegant, ornate, and diamond chandeliers hung from the decorated ceiling. "Take a look," said Sully. He pointed out to the auctioneer's podium. Next to the podium was the cross. It had been taken out of storage early, and now would be much harder to get. Nathan was shocked, "That's Avery's cross!" he said. Sully put his hands on the railing and said, "Yeah…They uh…took it out of storage just before you guys got here." Sam put his hands behind his head. This threw a massive monkey wrench into the works. Sam said, "They changed the lot order…" Nathan said, "Well we have to get it before the bidding starts. How long until then?" Sully replied, "Ten, fifteen minutes at the most." Nathan said, "Well there's got to be some way we can grab it…" Sully chuckled and said, "Well there's only the small matter of a few hundred eyewitnesses down there." Nathan shrugged and said, "OK, OK, we might just need a little diversion…" Sully lifted his cigar, "Like?" he asked. "Like um…" Nathan said, "Uh…Like I don't know…But there's got to be something!" Sully grunted and said, "Well if the guards see us making for that cross…" Sam chuckled and said, "Hey guys, what if they don't see us." Sully and Nathan both stared at Sam, waiting. Sam huffed and said, "Man you guys act like you never spent time in prison…If you want something dirty done, then you wait for…" Sully and Nathan both replied in unison, "Then you wait for the lights out!" Sully, wagging his finger said, "Where's the electrical panel for this place?" They went over to a small table where people could leave empty glasses of champagne. Nathan grabbed the blueprints for the mansion and unfolded them over the table. He pointed and planned out. After formulating a plan Nathan said, "Now we just have to go up there and kill the lights." "Snatch the cross in the dark," Sam finished. Sully made another thoughtful grunt and said, "Ah, there's emergency generators that'll kick on if you do that." Sam thought for a second and said, "Well that'll give us a few seconds of darkness to work with…meaning somebody will have to be right next to the cross when the lights go out." Sully shook his head and said, "Except there's no way to get that close to the cross without being noticed." "Ciao!" said a voice. It was a pretty looking waitress holding a tray of appetizers. "Antipasti?" she asked. Nathan said no thank you in Italian, but Sam took a piece, watching her leave with a grin on his face. Nathan rolled his eyes and nudged Sam, "Would you please focus, Romeo?" Sam said, "Oh no I wasn't watching the girl…A waiter wouldn't be noticed." Nathan understood. Sully nodded, "Hmm," he said, "That could work." Nathan smiled, "That will work!" he said. Nathan laid down the plan, "Alright, I'll go upstairs, kill the breaker box, Sam, you're the waiter." "Why?" Sam asked, "Because you're the best pickpocket." Sam nodded, that was true. Nathan then looked at Sully and said, "OK, Sully, you stay down there and keep your eye on the prize. Let us know if anything…kinky…goes on." Sully nodded, "Roger that," he said. Nathan took a deep breath and said, "Alright, listen we still got this. Ready?" Sully, and Sam both nodded, and Sully said, "Alright, follow me, we'll cut through the cellar."


	5. Chapter 5: Lights Out

Chapter 5

Lights Out

Nathan and Sam followed Sully. Sam, walking said, "So uh Sully, looks like the years have been kind to you." Sully laughed and replied, "Thanks. I'll just chock it up to going vegan." "Really?" Sam asked, remembering how much Sully loved his sirloins. Sully laughed, "Ha! Are you kidding me? Oh no!" Nathan shook his head, then saw Sam turn and look over an outdoor balcony. "Hey," Nathan said, "What are you doing?" Sam sighed and replied, "Oh, just going over our exit strategy. It's going to get hairy." Nathan chuckled, "Oh come on, relax! We've gone through tougher stuff than this." "Yeah I know, I know," Sam said nervously, "I'm just trying not to imagine what they'll do if they catch us." Nathan replied, "Sam, if things go bad, we'll be dead long before they catch us." Sam nodded, "That's a comforting point," he said. "Yeah," replied Nathan. With that, they met back up with Sully, who strode into the library. The room had chestnut bookshelves lined with books, and a roaring fireplace. There were several couples sitting on the Victorian era furniture chatting the day away. Nathan then left the library, and followed Sam and Sully down to the main entryway to the mansion. Just beyond that was the main auction floor. Most of the people were sitting on the many tables in the massive and ornate room, sipping merlot and champagne, eating escargot and other delicacies. It was way too fancy for Nathan's tastes. As he tried his best to follow Sully, he was listening to the truly awful music that was playing, "Of course they play cheap European techno," he muttered with disgust. He passed a statue of Zeus, and made his way up to the auctioneer's podium. There was the cross. Oh well, no more time to waste. He made his way back and saw Sully in front of the doorway leading to the cellar. Nathan nodded to Sully, and turned the knob. "OK," said Sully, "We'll need these." He held out three earpieces so they could talk back and forth to each other. Nathan put the piece in and walked through the door. "Good luck," said Sully before he closed the door. Sully then took a drag on his cigar, and walked back to the main auction floor. As he stood there, keeping an eye on the cross, he heard a voice behind him, "Hands in the air," said the voice. Sully chuckled and turned around, "Hi Victor," "Hello Nadine," said Sully. Nadine was a smooth operating woman with a head of curly black hair, a pair of elegant but muscular arms, and a sophisticated sounding British accent. She was wearing a sparkling red dress, and was holding a glass of wine in her hand. "Pleasure to see you again," Sully said. He chuckled and said, "Hardly recognize you in that dress." Nadine, with her hands on her hips huffed and said, "Well you know…sometimes you have to get all dolled up…Looking nice by the way." Sully smiled, "Not so bad yourself," he said. Nadine didn't reply. She looked around the room and leaned against a table. "I feel so out of place here…" she said, "Can't tell you what a relief it is to run into another English speaker…even if you are an American." Sully laughed and said, "Well you'll have to blame my parents for that one." Nadine chuckled and said, "I was on my way to the bar. Can I get you something?" "Yeah," said Sully, "A scotch." "Be right back," Nadine said as she gracefully made her way to the bar. Shaking his head Sully said, "Hey Nate, did you catch all that?" Nathan, in the cellars replied, "Yes I did, sounds like the lady is trying to buy you a drink." Sam began changing into his waiter's outfit, and Nathan heard Sully say, "Yeah…Nadine Ross is buying me a drink." Nathan thought he'd heard of her. "Wait," Nathan said, "Nadine Ross? Doesn't she own that army-for-hire?" "Yeah she does," said Sully, "It's called Shoreline." Nathan chuckled and said, "I thought you'd had a run-in with them." Sully huffed, "That's putting it mildly," he said, "Fortunately she does not seem to be holding a grudge." Sam looked at Nathan and said, "Alright, I'm ready." Nathan said, "OK, Sully? We're all good to go down here. Just…try and stay out of trouble would ya?" Sully replied, "I'll try." Sam began making his way through the food cellars. There was all kinds of gourmet food and other random foodstuffs. "Man," said Nathan, "They have enough food down here to feed a small town!" Sam said, "I wonder if they host weddings?" Nathan chuckled, "Oh yeah, they're a full service site," Nathan said, "Weddings, wine tastings, black market auctions…" "But do they have a DJ?" Sam asked. Nathan huffed. They sure did. A terrible one. Who plays European techno at an auction anyway? They continued through until they reached the wine cellar. Looking around for a vent, Sam soon spotted one. He looked at Nathan and said, "You ready?" Nathan nodded, "Let's go…" With that, he clambered into the vent. The auction was now only minutes away. "Vent's smaller than it looked…" Nathan said as he crawled through the metal vent. He coughed, "A lot dustier too…" Through the grates placed every so often, he could get a clear view of the food cellar. If he was lucky, he'd be able to go from the ventilation system to the power room. He had studied the plans to the Rossi Estate mansion, and he knew exactly where everything was at. Crawling through the vents suddenly he heard a door open. He stopped and peeped out of a grate. There were two waiter collecting more wine bottles. He motioned for Sam to stop. If they were to keep moving the clanking of the metal would alert them. Soon, they left, and Nathan continued through the vent. Crawling through even further, Sam met his stop. They were inside the waiter's suit closets. Inside were all of the waiter's clothes. Sam opened the grate, wished Nathan luck, and stealthily dropped in to change into his disguise. Nathan kept crawling through. "Sam you good?" he asked after a bit. "Yeah," Sam said through the earpiece, "These pants here are just a bit too tight…" he heard Sam grunt. "Well that's the style these days," Nathan said with a chuckle. Sam replied, "Well I'm going to head to the ball-room. See y—soo-" The signal cut off. "Sam?" Nathan said…no reply. "Sully?" no reply again. "Great," Nathan said, "Signal's gone." Beginning to get claustrophobic, Nathan continued inching through the vents. At this rate it would take quite a bit of time to reach the power room.

Laughing Nadine said, "I can't believe you got away with that!" Sully laughed and said, "Oh we did not!" a bit of cigar ash fell to the floor. Nadine chuckled, "And what about the horse?" Sully replied, "Fortunately we had a lot of carrots onboard." Sully looked and saw Sam walking with a tray of wine glasses on one hand, slowly but methodically making his way to the cross. "Recognize someone?" asked the astute Nadine. Sully shook his head, "Oh, I thought I did but no." Nadine nodded, but Sully could tell she didn't quite believe him. "Hey when am I going to get to meet that partner of yours?" asked Nadine, "Drake?" Sully replied, "Well that's ex-partner. Retired a bit ago. No, I've been flying solo for a while now. Drake's out." "Oh," Nadine said. "Last I heard he'd settled down and got married," Sully said. "Well then he might as well be dead right?" said a voice that wasn't Nadine's. It was a man Sully hadn't seen for a while, "Victor Sullivan!" said the man. Sully held out his hand, "Rafe." He said. It was Rafe, the same man that had murdered Vargas fifteen years before. His black hair was immaculately slicked back with an ungodly amount of hair gel. "How long has it been?" asked Rafe, "Ten years? Twelve?" Sully blew out a cloud of cigar smoke and answered, "Fifteen." Rafe chuckled, "It's amazing. All these years gone by and here we are still haggling over dead people's junk." "Really?" asked Sully, "Last I heard weren't you running your parent's business?" "My business now," Rafe said in a low voice, "But yes that is my day job." Sully chuckled and said, "Well you could probably afford everything on the block tonight." Rafe nodded his head side to side and said, "Well yeah…but what would be the point in that? These days I'm only looking for the good stuff. Big scores." Sully looked at Rafe, who he was feeling quite uneasy about, though his apparent look of total confidence didn't crack. "Any advice on what I should pick up tonight?" Rafe asked. Sully laughed and looked at Nadine, "Ha! Yeah, like I'd want to bid against him…" Sully went in close to Rafe and said quietly, "Uh…Just between you and me, I did notice they changed the order…I think somebody might be trying to rig this auction." A voice went over the intercom. She said, "Attention! We will begin bidding on our next item in a few minutes. An inlaid wooden crucifix from the Trott Estate." Sully nodded and looked at Nadine. He saw them exchange words and Nadine filled in Sully's curiosity. "Oh, yes," she said, "I and Rafe have teamed up on this one." Sully said, "Well I know when I'm a third wheel. You two kids have fun tonight." Sully turned to walk away, but Rafe grabbed his arm. "Just hold on Sully," said Rafe in a dark tone, "How'd you find out about it?" he asked. Though Sully knew he was talking about the cross, he decided to play dumb, "It?" Sully asked, "What 'it' is that Rafe?" He looked at Rafe right in the eyes and said, "Nadine I think your partner here has had too many bloody marys," Rafe knocked the glass of wine out of Sully's hand and yelled, "Don't play stupid with me old man!" People were looking at Rafe, who was fast on the track of making a major scene. Rafe glared at Sully and growled, "Now I don't know how you scammed your way in here…but if you think of bidding on Avery's cross I can tell you exactly how you're going to be leaving. In a body bag!" "Rafe!" Nadine said. Rafe, noticing the eyes of everyone nearby put his hand on Sully's shoulder and pasted a fake smile on his face. "Well," Rafe said, "You get my point." Sully glared back at Rafe and said, "Lovely seeing you." He began walking away. "Nate?" Sully called in, "Rafe!?" Sully growled, "Come on kid, where are you!?"

He had made it. Nathan was inside the electrical room. He was above the ceiling, and the ventilation system. Finding a ceiling grate, he kicked it away, and jumped down to the floor of the room. Dusting himself off, he sighed. He was finally out of that horrible ventilation system. He looked around for the circuit breakers. Looking around, he saw them in a separate room. There was a grated metal door to get inside. He tried the door, but it was locked. "Ah, crap!" Nathan said. He decided to try the earpiece, "Sam, Sully?" He heard Sully on the other end, "Kid, there you are! Where've you been?" "I made it," Nathan said, "A few close calls but…" "Yeah well if you're going to cut the power now would be a good time," Sully urged. "Yeah," Nathan said frustrated, "Well I'm going to need a minute to get to the electrical panel." Sully replied, "We don't have a minute kid. Rafe is about to walk out of here with your cross!" Nathan was confused, "Wait, what? Rafe!? Rafe is here!?" Nathan heard Sam on the other end say, "Yes, and as of right now he's got the highest bid." Nathan said, "Well…Sully, outbid him!" Sully replied, "With what! I don't have that kind of cash!" "Sully," said Nathan, "We're stealing it remember?" Sully said, "Well what if he calls my bluff!?" "He won't," Nathan said. Nathan heard Sam again, "Nathan if we don't get that cross I'm as good as dead." Sully said, "Yeah, well if I end up with the highest bid we're all dead." "Just bide me some time!" Nathan begged. Up in the auction room. Sully sighed. The auctioneer announced, "We have ninety-thousand euros. Going once. Going twice…" "Screw it." Sully said under his breath as he held up his bidding number. "There!" said the auctioneer, "We have one hundred thousand euros in the room." Rafe glared furiously in Sully's direction and he held up his bidding number. "Don't worry," Nathan said in the electrical room, "You'll be out of there in a minute." "I better be," Sully replied. Nathan began frantically looking for something to smash the lock. He rummaged through a drawer. Nothing. "That brings us to one hundred thirty thousand euros," Nathan's earpiece said. Nathan rushed to another drawer and opened it. Again, nothing. "One hundred forty thousand euros." Nathan growled in frustration. "Come on Nathan!" Sam said, "Alright! I'm hurrying!" Nathan shouted. "One hundred seventy thousand," taunted the earpiece. Nathan looked through another box. He pulled out a crowbar. "Yes!" Nathan said. He slammed the crowbar into the lock and began pushing against it with all his might, "One hundred ninety thousand euros," With a crack, the padlock snapped, and Nathan threw open the door. He called in, "Alright boys I'm at the switch. Ready?" Sam replied, "Ready as I'll ever be. Victor?" Having a bit too much fun playing with Rafe, he replied, "Just a sec." Sully held up his number. "The gentleman's bid: two hundred thousand euros." Rafe thrust his number in the air and called, "Five hundred thousand! Let's get this show on the road here." An audible gasp went up through the crowd. The auctioneer, quite surprised herself, said, "Uh…we have a five hundred thousand euro bid. Does the gentleman wish to bid again?" Sully looked like he thought for a moment, and then offered the bid to Rafe. "Had me worried there for a moment Victor," said Rafe, "Thought I might have to kill you." Sully chuckled to himself. He called in to Nathan, "OK. Let's ruin this moron's evening." "Going once…Going twice…" The lights suddenly went out. After a few seconds the auctioneer said, "Ladies and gentlemen please remain calm. The backup power will come on shortly." Four seconds later and the lights came on, but the cross was gone. "It's gone!" shouted a voice. Rafe was shocked. He looked around, then saw Sam disappear behind a staff door. He began tearing off towards Sam, shoving and pushing people out of his way. "Stop him!" shouted Rafe, "Hey stop that guy!" As he ran towards the door a guard stopped him, "Hey!" Rafe screamed, "What are you doing?! You're letting him get away!" The guard lifted a rifle. Rafe stepped back. He glared at the doorway, who had stolen his cross!?"

Jumping down to the garden, Nathan called in, "Sam, tell me you got the cross!" Nathan heard Sam in the earpiece, "I got St. Dismas right here. You want to say hi?" Nathan then heard Sully, "Yeah we really kicked the hornet's nest down here. Ballroom's locked down and security's scrambling." Nathan asked, "Hey Sully where's out getaway?" Sully replied, "I got the car right out front. Just follow the spotlights." Nathan began going on the rooftops. It would be the easiest way to get to the parking lot. He was on the complete other end of the estate. He jumped onto a roof, and suddenly, he saw a man flick on a flashlight. He hid, and the light beam fell right to where he had jumped. As he looked, he suddenly saw several more men with flashlights all searching around his area. He jumped onto a balcony for the main mansion. There was a guard who saw him. Nathan hid and jumped off the balcony, gripping the bottom of it as he hung off the side. The guard walked onto the balcony, and after a few minutes, left. Nathan climbed back onto the balcony. He rushed down a hallway, and then saw a guard blocking his way with a rifle. He walked to another balcony that was close to the ground. He jumped down, and hid inside a patch of tall grass. He saw a guard come armed with a flashlight. The man entered the tall grass, and Nathan pounced, covered his mouth, and punched him out cold. He left the man where he was and continued. He was now behind the mansion. He would have to go right through the mansion to leave. As long as he hung around the edges he'd go unnoticed. He jumped onto a metal grated window, and climbed up into an open one right above it. He entered a large drawing room on the upper level. Nathan breathed deeply and said, "OK…it's fine. No-one got a good look at me…I'm just going to play it cool and stroll right on out of here." He looked and saw the door right to his left. He walked over and opened it. Suddenly, he saw somebody was right in his way. "You're not supposed to be back here," it was Nadine. Nathan panicked inside. Why was she here!? "Well…neither are you." Nathan said, "But I'll tell you what, I won't tell anybody if you don't." Nadine put her hand against the door jam, blocking Nathan's way. Nathan tried to leave, but Nadine looked him in the eye and said, "You have something I want…and you're going to give it to me." Nathan looked at her, and after a second said, "Uh, I'm flattered, but I'm already uh…spoken for." He held up his wedding ring with a wry smile on his face. "Now if you'll excuse me…" Nadine grabbed Nathan's wrist, twisted it violently, and landed a brutal uppercut to Nathan's chin. As Nathan crashed to the ground, all thoughts he had of women being weaker than men flew out the window. As Nadine shut the door she said, "I'm not in the mood for games." Nathan grunted as he struggled to his feet. "Give me the crucifix!" Nadine demanded. Nathan shook his head, "Lady," he said, "you're lucky I'm a gentleman cause if I weren't, I would-" Nadine kicked Nathan in the chest with all the power of a bodybuilder, sending Nathan reeling into the wall. "You'd what?" Nadine asked. Nathan groaned and said, "Alright…just remember, I don't want to do this." Putting her fists up to her face Nadine sneered and said, "Let's see what you got." Nathan put his hands up to his fist, and the two began squaring each other up. Nathan already knew she was a worthy opponent, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hit a woman…that was just against the rules... "Come on Nathan Drake!" Nadine taunted. Nathan chuckled and said, "Well I see my reputation precedes me." Nadine approached and before Nathan could attack, she kicked him in the jawbone. Nathan reeled, and was given no time to recover before Nadine smashed her elbow into his cheek. Nathan grunted and said, "Hey…that's not nice." Nathan flung a punch at Nadine, but she dodged, and grabbed Nathan's arm, trying to lock him into a defenseless position. Nathan broke her grip, jabbing her in the gut with his elbow. Nadine recovered, "Nice try," she said. Nathan chuckled, "I gave you that one," he said, "Freebie." Nadine lunged, twisted Nathan around, and kicked Nathan in the back. "I gave you that one!" Nadine said. With his face to the wall, Nathan tried to get up, but before he could Nadine shoved his neck to the wall, and pinned his arms to his back. "Now hand me the artifact!" Nathan thought for a moment. He didn't even have it. "Hey look," Nathan said, "I have this nice astrolabe at home. I'm willing to give it to you at a fair price." Nadine huffed and said, "I'm really losing my patience!" she slammed Nathan against the wall, then threw him into a table behind her, Nathan smashing it to pieces as he crashed into it. Struggling up Nathan said, "Alright…I'm still a little jet-lagged. How about we just call it even?" Nadine attacked with savage ferocity, punching and kicking so fast Nathan couldn't keep up. He was knocked over again by a punch to the gut. "Are you going to give it up," Nadine said, "Or are you going to keep being a smart-aleck?" Nathan shrugged and said, "Well you know, being a smart-aleck has gotten me this far in life…Why quit now?" Nadine pushed him into the wall again, right next to the window. "Wait! Wait!" Nathan said half-strangled. "It's in my back pocket." Nadine took the bait, and reached for Nathan's back pocket. Nathan head-butted her and said, "Be more careful in the future," Nathan said, "Don't believe everything you hear." Nadine yelled and grabbed Nathan's arm. Twisting it, Nathan heard his shoulder bones crack under the pressure, and then Nadine threw him out of the window. He landed on his back after falling nearly fifteen feet. He groaned and moved his shoulder. No bones broken. Grunting, he got up, and heard Sully in his earpiece, "Alright I'm in the car! Where in God's name are you guys!?" Nathan said in a hoarse voice, "I just met your friend Nadine Ross. She's lovely." Sully sounded nervous, "Yeah? Well it's total chaos out here. Everybody's freaking out. I don't want to rush you but hurry up!" "Nathan where are you?" it was Sam. "Good question," Nathan said, "You?" Sam replied, "I'm next to the ballroom. Good news is I have a gun. See you soon." Nathan knew he'd have to get back up on the roofs of the buildings. He climbed up the mansion balcony and made his way to one of the roofs. There were now dozens of guards with flashlights illuminating the entire area like monster's eyes. One false step and he could get shot to bits. He saw a flashlight beam come his direction. He ducked behind the balcony railing, and the beam passed. He hoped Nadine wouldn't come looking for him. While he was a pretty good street fighter, Nadine was straight up military quality, and he wasn't quite on her level…yet. He got up, and suddenly a flashlight beamed right on him. "Hey!" shouted a guard, who immediately started shooting. Nathan ducked behind the balcony when he heard Sam. Sam yelled, "Nathan! What are you doing!?" Sam shot at the thugs. He was also on the rooftops. "Nathan!" he shouted, "Catch!" "Wait what?" Nathan asked. Suddenly he saw a pistol flying right towards him, "Oh crap…" he said before he snatched the gun. "I got it!" he yelled. Nathan finished off the last of the goons and Sam yelled over, "Nice shootin' Tex! Hey can you make your way to the car!?" "Yeah I think so," Nathan called back, "You hurry up, I'll meet you there!" "OK," Sam replied before making his way to Sully in the car. Nathan jumped from the rooftop to another balcony, heading to the ballroom level. He heard another man, "Hey!" the man shouted, before unleashing a hail of bullets from his AK. Nathan waited till he stopped before putting a bullet in the goon's shoulder. He ran over to the window for the main ballroom. He heard shooting from the inside. Quickly, he burst through the window in a flurry of shattered glass, and did a somersault into the room. "Nathan!" shouted someone in the room. It was Sam. Nathan felt a bullet whiz past his head. "Hey, how you doing?!" Nathan shouted. More bullets. Nathan flipped one of the heavier tables over and hid behind it. Sam, hiding behind a large marble pillar said, "Hey, I think I'm done with this auction, huh?" Nathan saw a guard come up behind him. Nathan clubbed him with the butt of his gun and took him down. "Oh yeah," Nathan replied, "Me too!" Nathan saw a guard shooting in Sam's direction. He shot him in the arm and took him down. As the guard shot the pillar, bits and pieces of marble flew into Nathan's eyes and ears like stinging bees. Suddenly, the guards were gone. Nathan tried to contact Sully, "Sully," Nathan said, "What's it look like out there?" He heard Sully reply, "Not good. Change of plan. Too many people are trying to leave, the driveway's all jammed up." Nathan growled. "What's our backup?" Sam asked. Sully replied, "There's that fountain right here in the parking lot. I'll meet you there." "Got it," Nathan said, "Let's go." Nathan began running across the room when suddenly he was accosted by bullets. He ducked, Sam right behind him. He rolled behind a table. He could hear the bullets slam into the floor right in front of him. Ducking, he stuck his head out and shot the guard, bringing him down. He rushed over to the guard and grabbed his weapon, a crowd control shotgun. He was now in the middle of the room, making steady progress towards the end of the room. He flipped another oak table over. There was a guard right in front of the doorway that was shooting at the table in front of Nathan. Suddenly Nathan heard a high pitched beeping. The guard had thrown a grenade! Nathan leapt into the air and the grenade exploded. In a cloud of smoke Nathan was blown to the ground by the shockwave. After recovering, he saw Sam make a dash for the door. Nathan followed, bullets biting at their heels. There were three other guards chasing them. Nathan turned the corner at the door and as soon as the guard came out, he punched one out cold, and the others he was able to hide from. Nathan called in, "Sully! We're running out of time here!" "Hold on kid!" Sully said, "Nearly there!" They ran down the steps. The parking lot was right in front of them, but there were several guards with weapons standing in the lot holding flashlights. Nathan was able to take one of them down. Suddenly he saw a large whit car smash through the metal gates leading out of the estate. "Someone call for a limo?" It was Sully. Nathan and Sam made a break for the car. They flung themselves into the backseat, bullets piercing the back windshield. "Go! Go! Go!" shouted Nathan. "Hang on!" Sully replied. Burning rubber, Sully screeched out of the estate, the guards only stopped shooting when they were out of range.

Sitting at a table in a high rise hotel room far from Rossi Estate, Nathan, Sam and Sully all looked at the item that had caused all the trouble. It was the second St. Dismas crucifix. Sam set down his glass of white wine, and taking up a hammer to break the top off, Sam looked at Nathan and shrugged, before taking the top off of the crucifix. Sam looked inside the crucifix and suddenly his smile faded. "Oh no…" he said. "What?" Nathan asked. "It's empty." Sam replied. Nathan was shocked, "What!?" Sam, smiling took a small piece of parchment out of the crucifix. "Oh you're such a jerk!" Nathan said. "He's your brother…" Sully replied. The parchment inside the cross was small, but it was sealed by a small red wax seal, with Henry Avery's skull and crossbones insignia. The skull was side-viewed, with a bandanna around it, and a large hoop earring. Below that were the crossbones. "Skull and crossbones," said Sully, "Very good sign." He unfolded the note. The entire note was almost entirely taken up by two crossed cutlasses in the center, with a skull below that. The corners and bottom of the note were all elaborately decorated, and looping around the swords were these words, "Today you will join me in paradise." In-between each word banner were the dates 1659, and 1699. Looking at the paper, Sam looked at Nathan and said, "Today you will join me in paradise. That's what Jesus said to the Penitent Thief on the cross but…What about these numbers here, what do you make of this?" He pointed to the numbers. "Could be a code," said Sully, "Or a phone number." Nathan chuckled, "Come on," he said, "They're dates! Look. There's 1659," Sam nodded, "Oh…That's the year Avery was born." Nathan pointe to the other date, "1699." Sully said, "Let me guess, the year he died." Sam nodded, "By most accounts yeah but…We have date of birth date of death and paradise which means…We're looking for Avery's grave." "At St. Dismas' cathedral," Nathan finished. Nathan got up to grab his notebook, which had a small map of the cathedral and the surrounding property. "Wait a second," said Sully, "Hasn't Rafe been scouring that site for ages already?" "Yeah," Nathan replied laying his notebook on the table, "The cathedrals," he pointed to the map. "See these symbols?" Nathan asked "Yeah," Sam replied. Nathan looked at Sam and Sully and said, "These are found on old Scottish gravestones. Right? Now," he laid the map of St. Dismas' Cathedral down on the table, "the layout for this place is really unusual. Here's the cathedral, but the graveyard is way over here, on the other end of the property." Sam chuckled, "Rafe has been focusing on the wrong area." "Exactly!" Nate replied. Sam slumped back in his chair then looking at Nathan and Sully said, "Guys, we're going to Scotland!" Sully said, "Wait, wait, hold on. You do realize that Rafe won't be happy you guys are there. He might not know you're coming now, but if you're caught…" Nathan replied, "Ah, we'll deal with that when we get there." Sully shook his head and said, "That psycho would like nothing better than for you to show up. Plus he's got Nadine and her private army to back him up!" "Yeah," said Nathan, "But he doesn't have this!" he held up the map and looking Sully in the eye said, "The biggest pirate treasure of all time is within our grasp!" Sully didn't smile, he just looked at Nathan, then, lighting a cigar he said, "I thought this was about saving Sam?" Nathan replied, "It is! But come on it's both right? We need the treasure so we can save Sam!" Sully sighed, and leaning forward he said, "How is Elena cool with all this?" Nathan sighed, and threw his hand up. "Oh come on kid," Sully said. Nathan said in a low voice, "Look it's not that simple Sully…" Sully looked at Nathan and said, "With all you been through together?" Nathan shook his head and said, "She wouldn't understand this." Nathan rolled up the map of St. Dismas' cathedral and Sully jabbed his cigar in the air, "You are not giving her enough credit!" Sully said. Nathan replied, "I can't take that chance!" A few seconds passed, then Sam spoke, "Nathan he's right. Look, Rafe is involved now and things have changed." Nathan got out his cell phone. "I can take this on my own from now," Sam said. Nathan looked at Sam and said, "Great. Well, thank you for your input, both of you. Excuse me, I have to call my wife." Nathan left the room, but Sam knew he wasn't about to take his advice. "Hey," Nathan said on his phone as he went off to the hotel room's balcony, "Hey it's me, how are you doing?" The balcony door closed. Sully and Sam were both left in the room. Sighing, Sully poured some rum into his cup on the table. Sam did the same. Looking at Sully taking a thought filled drag on his cigar Sam chuckled and said, "What's on your mind dear?" Sully sighed and said, "Look I um…I know it couldn't've been easy, all those years away. And I'm sorry for what happened to you...But it's not his fault." Sam shook his head, "I never said that it was," Sam replied. "Took him a long time to get out of this game," Sully said. Sam sighed, "He's meant for this life." Sully huffed, "You really believe that?" he asked between a puff. Sam looked at Sully and said, "Why are you here Victor?" Sully replied, "Because somebody's got to keep an eye out for him." Another pause. The door for the balcony opened as Nathan finished up his conversation, "No, I'll just see you in a few weeks," Nathan said, "Yeah…I will. OK. I love you too, bye." He hung up and sat back down. Sully took one more drag off of his cigar and looked at Nathan, waiting for an excuse. "I just told her the job is going to take a bit longer than expected…which is the truth!" Nathan said. Sam didn't make eye contact with Nathan. Sully still had a hesitant face on. "So come on," Nathan said, "What do you say? Sam could still use our help." Sully looked into the wall, huffed, and poured some more rum into his cup. "It's a lot to take in kid." Sully replied, "Where do I even start? You've been out of the game a long time. And maybe I need to remind you of the kind of people we'll be crossing here." Nathan sighed, "Sully I know the risks," he said, "But come on, it's a surefire plan!" Sully scoffed, "Yeah…If there's one thing I've learned in all these years, there's no such thing as a surefire plan." Nathan looked Sully in the eye, "I don't really have an option here," he said, "you know that. Yeah maybe you're right, I've been out of the game…But I need back in. So can I count on you? One last time?" "Well," he said, "I do hear the weather is particularly fine in Scotland this time of year." With that, Nathan, Sam, and Sully all wordlessly, but happily raised their glasses in a toast, before drinking it down.

Looking at the map, Nathan sighed, "Well," he said, the air turning his breath to vapor. They had arrived in Scotland, and the air wasn't quite as fine as Sully had predicted. It was quite cold, and while it was mild September weather back in the States, here it was chilled, there was even some snow that had fallen during the night. The area around St. Dismas' cathedral was rocky and mountainous, with cliffs and crags all over the place. The grass was tall and brown, with towering pine trees pointing to the sky like green arrows. The ocean was right next to them, far below. A massive three hundred foot cliff separated them from the ocean below. "Rafe's really going all in isn't he?" asked Sam looking at the distance. Rafe was now actually blowing up St. Dismas' cathedral itself! "How'd he get the permission to do that?" Sam asked. Nathan shrugged, "He's rich," he said, "and besides, it's technically his property now…Anyway, they're all concentrated around the cathedral now so that's good. I still have no idea why Rafe hasn't even bothered to check at the cemetery yet. Guy's a bigger idiot than I ever gave him credit for…Well, we're going to have that graveyard all to ourselves." Nathan pulled out his binoculars and took a good long look. There was dust that had been blown up from the dynamite explosions, as well as large chunks of rock. Nathan shook his head. Rafe was decimating historical landmark simply because he hadn't done his research well enough. Nathan pulled out his walkie-talkie, "Sully," he said. "Yeah?" Sully replied. Nathan pulled his coat up against a gust of wind, "We're good to go here," Nathan said. Sully replied, "OK kid. Happy hunting." Sully was inside a bush plane that could float on top of the water with two pontoons under each wing. "Last chance to come with," Nathan said. Sully replied, "Yeah well…Unless you can find me an escalator I think I'll pass." Nathan chuckled, "Alright," he said, "We'll see you in a few." He waved from atop the cliff, and he heard Sully reply, "Hey Nate just uh…Just…Just bring me back something shiny will ya?" "That's the plan." Nathan replied. Before setting off, Sam clapped his hands together, rubbed them, and said, "OK, let's pay our respects to Captain Avery."


	6. Chapter 6: Those Who Prove Worthy

Chapter 6

Those Who Prove Worthy

Although it was cold, there were still some purple winter flowers blooming along the way. As they began their descent, Sam thought out loud, "A Scottish cathedral…Strange place to bury your treasure, no?" Nathan shook his head and replied, "Well not really. I mean by the time Avery sailed here the place was already abandoned." Sam thought it over and said, "Well I guess that's true. Plus with the massive bounty on his head it would've been a good place to hide." After walking a bit further Sam struck up some conversation, "So uh…" he said, "What happened between you and Rafe?" Nathan shook his head and replied, "Ah I couldn't deal with him, and I'm pretty sure he'd had enough of me. I was still coming to grips with your uh… 'death' and with his frustrations about not finding the treasure…I'm pretty sure he was ready to kill me by the time I bailed." Sam chuckled, "Imagine what he'd want to do to you now?" Nathan huffed, "Trying not to," he replied. After a small pause Nathan said, "Sam listen, he's ruthless. I mean even more so than when we teamed up with him…I mean I've heard stories…" "Trust me," said Sam, "Me too. They came a bit closer to the cathedral, and Sam huffed before looking through his binoculars for a closer look. "Explosives," he said, "the crane, I think I think stealing the cross may have made our boy Rafe a little nervous." "Yeah," Nathan chuckled, "Just a tad." They had been traveling uphill mostly, and suddenly the hill they had been climbing up dropped off to a deep valley. Nathan stood there figuring out a way down. "Now what?" asked Sam. Nathan rubbed the back of his head and replied, "Well we'll have to retrace our steps down." They began descending the hill When they reached the bottom of the hill, the floor of the valley was much closer, and latching his grappling hook to a dead tree, he began rappelling down the cliff, Sam following after Nathan hit the ground. When he arrived, he was met by a bunch of equipment sitting on the ground. There were old towels inside of buckets, surveying equipment, and large plastic crates. Nathan walked around the equipment when he saw a large metal oil barrel. It had a word on it Nathan wasn't expecting to see at all: Shoreline. The name of Nadine's private army. "I thought they were just by the cathedral?" Nathan said with worry. This could throw a major problem into their well thought out plan. Suddenly Nathan heard a gunshot! "Hey!" shouted a near distant voice, "They're over there!" Nathan and Sam ducked. There were two mercenaries shooting at the equipment Nathan was hiding behind. Fortunately, Nathan and Sam both had pistols. Sam yelled, "Where'd they come from!?" Nathan didn't answer, but quickly aimed at one of the mercenaries and shot. He went down. Sam quickly got the other. After carefully making sure there were no more soldiers, Nathan got up, sighed and said, "Well…Nice to meet you too Shoreline. Seems like they were expecting us…" "And like they were searching away from the cathedral…" Sam finished. Nathan began jogging and said, "Which means we should get to that graveyard pronto!" After jogging ever closer to the graveyard through the valley, Sam said, "Well what are we supposed to find there? Is there like a gravestone that says, 'here lies Henry Avery; Loving son and notorious pirate?" Nathan chuckled and replied, "Yeah I doubt it." Littered around the entire area were ruins of old stone fences and foundations of buildings that had long eroded or crumbled away. Along with that were randomly placed Shoreline equipment, some under tarps, some not. Continuing their way towards the cemetery, they heard a muffled explosion. Sam and Nathan both looked back, before looking at each other and shaking their heads. Sam chuckled and said, "Who knows Nate, maybe we'll be lucky and they blow themselves up…" After a bit, they reached the cemetery, but the entrance was sealed up. Sam and Nathan both sat there waiting for a plan to come to them. There was no cliff near the cemetery, and no trees. Looking around for something else, they noticed a wooden crate nearby with the words, "Danger!" written in red paint in all capital letters. Nathan chuckled and walked over. Sure enough, there was dynamite inside. Conveniently, it was also able to be lit by pulling the cap off, just like a flare. Nathan pulled the cap and threw it at the door, before ducking for cover. Bang! In a huge explosion the dynamite sent the thick wooden door splintering into the air. After getting up, Nathan heard Sam behind him, he was holding his hands over his ears and looking as if he was in pain, "That was…very loud," Sam said, "I hope they didn't hear us…" Nathan replied, "Well we might just blend in with the other explosions. He was about to enter the cemetery when he heard voices. "Shoreline!" Sam hissed, "Hide!" There were three Shoreline mercenaries all wandering around. "Where's our boys?" one asked. Nathan heard another call, "Keep your safeties off!" Nathan kept himself in hiding. "Think it was those two men Nadine warned us about?" one man said. Nathan's eyes narrowed. "Either way, shoot to kill!" called another. "Over here!" one of them called, "Someone blew this door open!" Nathan kept his back hidden behind the cemetery wall. He quietly got out his pistol. They began approaching. Beside Nathan, Sam pointed. Nathan saw them step closer and closer, until they were almost on top of them. "One," Nathan silently mouthed, "Two…" Pouncing, Nathan and Sam ambushed the men, shooting and punching. Fortunately, there were only three, and two of them had been taken out by their ambush. The other one aimed his gun at Nathan and shot, Nathan dodged, and Sam knocked him unconscious. After taking a breath they hid the bodies, "Let's get them out of sight before somebody comes looking for them…" Nathan said. Sam and Nathan dragged the bodies out of the way. Rubbing his hands together Sam said, "Trash is out! Let's get inside the cemetery." Walking inside, the entire area looked like a scene out of a horror film. There was a hollow abandoned ruin of a church, with crumbling stone walls and tall stone statues of the Catholic saints. Snow had begun falling, collecting on the tall cliffs casting a broad shadow over the property. "Look at this place!" Sam said admiringly. Nathan chuckled and said, "Welcome to the St. Dismas Dormitory. Alleged resting place of one Captain Henry Avery. Let's find that grave." Nathan looked at the impressive sight, and shaking some of the snow off his pouch, he drew a quick sketch of the dormitories before pocketing his journal and walking over. The entire graveyard had pirate graves in it. "Hey Nathan!" Sam called, "Look over here! This one has a pair of cutlasses!" Nathan ran over. The grave was tall, and shaped like a cross, with a pair of crossed cutlasses at the crux of it. Nathan looked at the dates, but they didn't match. The grave had to have the dates 1659, and 1699 on it. This one had 1662, to 1702. Sam and Nathan began looking over each grave in the small plot. There was one that had the words, "Time devours all things," on it. Nathan chuckled, "Cheery bunch of folks here huh?" Nathan huffed, "Hmm…" They continued their search. There seemed to be nothing anywhere. Suddenly he heard Sam yell, "Nathan! Over here!" Nathan ran over. The grave had the correct date, but the crossed cutlasses on the grave pointed up, not down. The paper Sam found in the St. Dismas cross had a pair of downward pointed cutlasses, and he assumed that the grave would have downward pointed cutlasses, since Avery kept his clues uniform down to small details. There would also be a skull and crossbones on the grave as well. Nathan suddenly saw a grave at the edge of the dormitory. It was right next to a cliff that dropped down hundreds of feet into the ocean. The grave looked very promising. The bottom half of the grave was shaped normally, with a small cross at the top. In the crux of the cross was a pair of downward facing cutlasses. The center of the grave had a skull, and the dates matched. 1659, to 1699. Nathan scratched some snow off of the grave and a name appeared: Benjamin Bridgeman. Nathan chuckled, "Benjamin Bridgeman. That's Avery's alias." Nathan looked at the grave a bit closer and said, "There's something odd about this skull though…It's a different color to the rest of the grave and…It's facing the wrong way." Indeed, the skull was facing forward. Sam cocked his head, "That's odd," he said, "On Avery's Jolly Roger the skull faces…" They both looked at each other and said in unison, "Sideways…" Nathan extended his hand, and turned the skull to the side. With a loud crack of stone and mortar, Nathan looked behind the grave. A pair of stone stairs began dropping into a large rectangular hole, which led to a man-made tunnel. Nathan and Sam looked at each other again, and began walking down the stairs into the underground tunnel. Nathan grabbed a flashlight out of his satchel and switched it on. The air inside the tunnel was even colder than it was outside, but was completely dry and stale. The walls of the tunnel were made of stone bricks, not solid rock. There were also support arches every few yards. Nathan saw another set of stairs deep inside the tunnel. He walked down and suddenly came to a large room. There were several tombs inside. "It's a crypt," Nathan said. Sam huffed, "A crypt? Hidden behind a secret door?" Nathan shrugged and said, "I assume the secret door was added afterwards…" "To hide his loot," Sam finished. The room they were in was only a small portion of the crypt, which was more like a small man-made cave. Nathan continued to a hall with several ancient stone coffins inside. After that was an even larger room than the first. At the center of the hall was a massive and ornate stone recreation of the crucifixion. They were all nearly life-size, and their crosses stood atop large stone pedestals. "Jesus…" Nathan said, "St. Dismas on the left…" "And jerk thief on the right," Sam finished with a chuckle. After a pause Nathan said "Avery sure had a thing for St. Dismas…" Sam replied, "Well Avery fancied himself a 'good thief' right? Only plundered and murdered the non-British heathens." Nathan chuckled, "I guess that passed for good back then." "Good enough," Sam said. Nathan went over behind the crosses. There was a large door behind the crosses. At the back of the crosses, Nathan noticed something strange behind Jesus' crucifix. It looked like a lamp. Knowing that Sam smoked, he called him over, "Hey Smokey!" Nathan called, "I need your lighter over here." Huffing, and with a sarcastic look on his face Sam said, "You know, that hurts my feelings." Nathan shook his head and lit the lamp. Suddenly, in a "whoosh" the fire crawled from Jesus to the two thieves beside him. There seemed to be furnaces built into the pedestals below the crosses as well. Suddenly, beams of light began shooting towards the door behind the crosses. It looked strangely like, and in fact was, a constellation. Nathan looked at it. The constellation was Libra, the scales of justice. Sam looked at it for a second, before looking at what looked like a star shaped knob. He grabbed it, twisted it, and it opened. It slid over to the right, and exposed a large blue Plexiglas window. "huh," said Nathan, "No treasure…Oh well." The window was ornately decorated, but had no pictures of humans or other objects. Most of it was simply metal twisted into decorative shapes through the window. However, the center of the window was a perfect circle, and opened out into the land north of the dormitory. There were three crosses, life size, placed in different directions of each other. The window was scratched to circle the crosses, but there was also a fourth circle. Inside that was a cave. After looking through it for a second Nathan said, "Well…Looks like Avery is trying to tell us where to go next." After thinking about how to get to the cave Nathan groaned and said, "There is one problem though…Going back that way will lead us next to the cathedral…and next to Rafe." Sam sighed. "Well let's not keep him waiting," he replied. With that, they began to make their way up and out of the crypt. Nathan wondered why Rafe hadn't really even bothered to check most of the area around the cathedral. Even though he'd only had it for a few years, he still should've checked most of it out by now, even though he couldn't've known Avery's gravesite since he didn't have the paper that Sam had got from inside the second St. Dismas cross. They climbed up the staircase and back out into the bright Scotland sun. Suddenly, Nathan heard several men in the near distance. They were from Shoreline. Nathan ducked behind a Shoreline equipment crate and got out his pistol. They were way above them in a separate area of the dormitories north of them, towards the cave, and the second exit to the graveyard. "They blew that gate open up there," said Sam. "Well good," replied Nathan, "cause that's the way we have to go." They began creeping closer to the mercenaries, always taking care to stay out of sight. After a bit, they got close enough to hear the men's conversation. "Anybody hear anything from unit 3B?" asked a mercenary, "Nothing," replied another, "You think we have guests?" The other mercenary huffed, "Well if I don't hear from them soon I'm going to check in on them." Another long silence. Nathan and Sam crept into some tall grass below the gate, still out of sight. This time, there was another trio of mercenaries. Getting close enough to hear their conversations, Nathan was shocked to hear what they were talking about, "I can't believe he got away," said one of the men. The other chuckled and replied, "Apparently she tossed him out of a five story window." Listening, both Sam and Nathan paused in the tall, brown grass, knowing who the men were talking about. "And he survived?" the man said incredulously, "That guy should count his blessings! That auction was heavily guarded, but not by Shoreline, not by our boys." The other man said, "Look all I'm saying is let's not underestimate these guys," "And let's not try and make them into something they're not either," said the other. That was that then. Rafe knew they were here, or he had a very strong feeling they were. The men that were talking were right in front of their exit gate. Nathan looked at Sam. They would have to take these men out without alerting the others of their presence. If they blew their cover, Rafe would surely send more men than they could handle, and Nadine wouldn't be far behind. She had already proven her worth with Nathan the night of the Rossi heist. The grass was thankfully just as tall right up next to the gate. They quietly snuck up to the men at a short distance, while they were distracted talking to each other. After creeping forward ever so stealthily, suddenly they both lunged out, Nathan covered the one mercenary's mouth, before flipping him onto the ground and punching his lights out. Sam followed suit just as quickly. There was the gate, and they would have to lift it up to get past it. It was a heavy wooden gate with large crossbeams that made it extremely hard to lift, the rusty hinges not helping much either. "There's the gate," said Nathan. "Great," replied Sam, " I was kind of hoping to find the treasure back here but you know…it's never that easy, right?" Nathan chuckled, "Well that's been my experience…" Grabbing the gate with his hand, Nathan and Sam got beside each other and began hefting the gate up with their hands. Grunting with all their might, the gate creaked open. Nathan hoisted it up and Sam slipped through, before Sam kept it open for Nathan. Once through, they let the gate close with a thud. They began making for the direction the cave and crosses were in. Nathan looked around, keeping the dormitories in constant perspective. The cave was directly north of the old graveyard. He saw a craggy ravine ahead of them that led to the cave. There was a small cliff that led down into the ravine. Nathan jumped down into it and walked through. At the end of the ravine they saw the crosses. Now, the ocean was beside them, and they were far closer to it than they had been. Sully was in his bush plane on the far end of the way. Sitting atop a rocky outcrop poking out of the water was one cross, then another high above the one on the sea, then another above the cave. They were far below the cave close to the ocean. "Look!" Nathan called to Sam, "There's the cave! That's where Avery wants us." Sam replied, "Well whatever the good captain wants, that's what he gets." They began making for the cliff that led up to the cave. He would have to climb it. Thankfully, the cliff was fairly craggy, with plenty of hand and footholds. Beginning to walk towards the cliff he heard Sully radio in, "Hey kid? What's your status?" Nathan grabbed his walkie-talkie and said back, "Hey, Sully. We're on the trail but the treasure's closer to the cathedral than we originally thought." Sully replied, "Oh boy…So what do you need me to do?" "Just keep the engines warm," Nathan replied, "We'll be back before too long." "You got it," said Sully, "Keep me posted. "Will do," replied Nathan. Nathan and Sam began their climb up the stepped cliff-side. After clambering up they reached a step in the cliff wide enough for trees to grow. They suddenly heard people talking, and saw several Shoreline mercenaries walking around. "Patrol," said Sam. "Yeah I see them," replied Nathan. He waited. The mercenaries began walking away, and they kept going up. "I guess there's no getting away from those guys," said Nathan grabbing at the cliff. "Yeah," replied Sam, "and they're only be more as we get closer to the cathedral. There was another step to the cliff, much broader than the last. There was a smaller cave inside this step, though not as large as the one they were trying to get to. This was more of an indentation into the rock than a cave. When Nathan went inside, he was startled to see a skeleton inside the cave. He looked at it. He had been in this cave for hundreds of years. Beside him was an old flintlock pistol. Nathan picked it up. Though he knew it probably wouldn't fire, and there was no ammo in it, he picked it up and put it in his pack. He wanted to walk out of here with at least one souvenir! He walked back outside. The snow had really began falling now, and was limiting their visibility. Nathan was alright with that to a point. It meant that they could hide from Shoreline better, but also, Shoreline could hide from them better…They kept climbing until finally they reached the top of the cliff. Nathan though was a bit lower than he could jump. Sam had already got to the top and called over, "Hey Nathan wait! I'll pull you up!" Nathan saw Sam go prone and reach his hand down. Nathan jumped and Sam hoisted Nathan up. Standing at the very top of the cliff Sam chuckled and said, "Well what would you do without me bro?" Nathan replied, "Well probably relaxing at home drinking cocoa." Sam huffed, "What are you, five?" Nathan laughed, "Oh tell me you wouldn't go for some hot cocoa right now!" Nathan asked. "Well I mean…yeah…" Sam said. Nathan shook his head. They were not right in front of the second stone cross. The cross with the cave was just a short distance from them. The snow began falling even harder, and was beginning to look like a blizzard was brewing. He heard Sully radio in, "Kid, storm's picking up! How's it looking?" "Yeah," said Nathan, "We're about to head into the cave." "The cave?" asked Sully. Nathan said, "Uh, yeah. Might lose contact for a bit. Don't get too worried." "Alright," Sully replied, "I'll keep the porch light on for you." Nathan put the walkie-talkie back on his belt and looked ahead. The cave was right ahead. He walked right inside. "Those Shoreline idiots were right next to this cave!" Sam said. Nathan turned his flashlight on and replied, "Yeah, but I think we're the first ones in here. There are no footprints in the snow before ours." They began walking inside. The entrance to the cave was shaped like a crooked triangle, and it was dark and spooky inside. There was ice glazing the sides of the cave like diamond, though there were very few stalactites on the ceiling. This was most likely because water froze here before it had a chance to drip. Once they got further inside the cave, it warmed up, and they began to see cave formations. There were even icicles hanging down like clear stalactites near the entrance as well. After the entrance tunnel there was a small room with a large stone column in the center. To the right of the column was a small crevice that opened up to a large hall that sloped gently downwards and to the left. Squeezing through, Nathan grunted before emerging out on the other side. Sam, behind, said, "Well glad I didn't have a big breakfast…" Right after they emerged, they saw two statues of St. Dismas standing like guards inside the hazy, gloomy cavern. Looking down the tunnel, Nathan noticed that the slope was built with man-made steps on the floor. "Hey Nate," said Sam, "I think it's safe to say we're in a pirate cave!" Nathan chuckled, "Well thanks for the conformation, I was having my doubts." They both began descending down the staircase. At the end of the staircase was a large stone carved door. Beside the door was what looked like a massive lock, but with a hole big enough for a man's arm to fit through. Walking over, Nathan looked at it, and stuck his arm inside carefully. "Hey Sam," Nathan said, "Check this out." Sam walked over, and looked at Nathan with almost his entire arm poking into the hole in the wall. "It's a little slimy," said Nathan feeling around, "There's a handle in here or something…" Sam thought for a moment and said, "Well…Give it a…Give it a pull." Nathan looked back at Sam, "What?" he said, "It could be a trap!" "Well," said Sam, "You're already in there. What's the worst that could happen?" "Uh I lose my hand!" replied Nathan. Sam shrugged and said, "Then we'll get you a nice hook." Nathan sighed and wincing, he pulled on the handle. His hand stayed unharmed, and the door rolled away. It was a huge circle shaped stone like the stone to Jesus' tomb. Sam stared inside, but Nathan snapped him out of it, as he wiped the slime from the inside of the rock onto Sam's shirt. "Really?" Sam asked. Walking inside, Nathan `instantly noticed the items inside. There were two pirate prisoner cages hanging from the ceiling. A skeleton slumped inside one of them. The other was empty. Beside one of the pirate cages was a statue of the virgin Mary, and at the center, a bronze plaque. Nathan read the plaque, "For those who prove worthy, paradise awaits. For those who prove false, behold your grim fate. Nodding, Sam said, "Yeah I guess Avery was a better pirate than poet." Nathan shook his head and said, "No. This isn't Avery's." "What?" Sam asked as he walked over to the plaque. Indeed, Nathan was right. While Avery's insignia was a sideways skull and crossbones, this insignia was an arm holding a cutlass. Nathan's eyes narrowed, "The Rhode Island Pirate," he said, "Thomas Tew." Sam thought for a moment, then shook his head, "Yeah," he said, "But it can't be him I mean, this is clearly his sigil but…Tew died attacking the same treasure fleet as Avery." Nathan rubbed his chin and replied, "That's what the stories tell us…" "If this really is Tew's mark," said Sam, "Then that means that he must've been involved in all of this. But how?" The cave wall vibrated and dust began falling. Another explosion had been done on the mansion just then. "That's a good question," Nathan replied. Sam looked at the skeleton still slumped over inside the prisoner cage. "Who was this guy?" he asked. Nathan replied, "A pirate who proved false I guess." Sam shook his head, "Hmm…I don't know. I think either Avery or Tew put them here to scare us." Nathan replied, "Good thing we're jaded treasure hunters." Sam chuckled. There was an opening to their right that continued down into the belly of the cave. It was a short passageway to the next room, which was huge. The room they had just been inside was small, and nothing compared to this massive chamber. The cave floor suddenly dropped to a deep ravine, that dropped over seventy feet down to the bottom of the cave. The rest of the cave also looked this way. The ravine was crossed by an ancient looking wooden swinging bridge. It looked solid enough, but it had to be over three hundred years old. Huffing he stepped out onto it. It creaked loudly, and he heard a faint snapping noise. "Ah, screw it!" Nathan said before running out onto the aging bridge. With a tremendous groan the rickety bridge held, but it didn't seem like it would for long. He looked back at Sam, who didn't look like he was happy to cross at all. "Come on Sam!" Nathan called, "I think it'll hold, just run!" Sam shook his head and sighed before casually walking over. It didn't make a sound. "These bridges are clearly not built to take that kind of abuse," said Sam, "That's why I walk." Nathan rolled his eyes. "Sure they are," said Nathan. "Pirate abuse!" Sam let out some of the fakest laughs ever heard. "Not bad," he said with unbridled sarcasm. They reached a part of the cave that looked like a slippery rock slope covered in loose gravel. The edge of the cave walls had walkable ledges, and the center was just a horrid ravine. The bridge just got you to the ledges. Nathan looked ahead. There was a ledge above the slide that he could jump and grab at the last second. Nathan sighed and jumped. Sliding on his back, the gravel slipped and slid underneath him, and guiding himself with his hand, Nathan waited until the last second, and leapt up, grabbing the ledge of the cave. He exhaled sharply, and climbed up onto the ledge to stand. Sam followed, and after catching their breaths, they looked around. Sam asked, "So, did Tew build this place with Avery? I mean I can't make sense of it." Nathan shook his head, "Neither can I. If Avery wanted to keep his treasure hidden then why would he involve another pirate?" Sam shrugged and said, "Well maybe he saw him as part of his crew, or maybe he sent him one of those St. Dismas crosses." "Yeah," said Nathan, "And maybe Tew took all the treasure for himself." Sam sighed, "Please don't say that," he said. Suddenly. He saw a set of stairs, and two carved stone columns on either side. They led to an arched doorway, clearly man-made. As they entered the doorway, Nathan motioned for Sam to follow. When he did, they looked into the room. Nathan took a step forward, and one of the bricks he stood on pressed down. A large stone rolled in front of the doorway! "No, no, no, no!" shouted Sam. Too late. "Well we're not going back that way," said Sam with a sigh. Nathan replied, "Well at least we didn't get dropped in a pit or something…" They looked around. The room was totally empty, aside from a pool of water at the one corner. He looked beside the door and jumped back, startled. There was a skeleton right beside the door. The door had a similar lock compared to the other side of the door, but there were huge metal spikes that had triggered when this man pulled the lock. There were at least three spikes sticking into the skeleton's ribcage. He had died there. Sam looked at him and said, "Well now what?" Nathan looked around, but there on the other side of the door he saw something different. There was a puzzle, or test. Three crosses. One was gold, the other was white, and the other was black. The crosses were separate from the rock, and fit into the rock like a key. The white cross was on the right, and the black cross was on the middle, with the golden cross on the left. Nathan suddenly realized what the test was about. He picked the crosses out of the wall. There were different shaped behind each of the crosses. "I got it!" said Nathan. Sam cocked his head and looked, "What?" he asked. Nathan explained, "Alright, according to Catholic tradition, St. Dismas was to the left of Jesus during the crucifixion. The other thief that mocked Jesus was to his right, with Jesus being the center. Now, going by the obvious color codes…" He put the golden cross in the center, the black cross on the right, and the white cross on the left." Sam suddenly understood, "I get it," said Sam, "Avery was testing to see if they knew the story of St. Dismas…Everyone in his crew would've been familiar with the story." Nathan walked back to the lock and stuck his hand inside. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the latch. The stone rolled away from the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, he walked out of the room. Sam looked back, "Not that hard of a test," he said. Nathan replied, "Well…Maybe it's not the only one." They returned to the main cave room. Sam shook his head and said, "You think Rafe and Nadine know that all this is almost directly under their feet?" Nathan huffed and replied, "Well with enough explosions they're going to find out sooner or later." The main room of the cave continued to amaze Nathan. It was the biggest cave room he had ever seen, and he had spelunked quite a bit in his day… There was a constant trickling noise that permeated everything. Soon, they saw an extremely narrow man-made tunnel. It wasn't tall, and they had to crouch-walk in order to move through. Sam went through on his hands and knees. Nathan crawled in first. "Alright," Sam called, "Watch your—Ouch!" "Watch my ouch?" Nathan asked. "Knock it off!" Sam retorted. Going forward with his flashlight, Nathan saw a huge rat scurry away from him. Undeterred he kept going forward. Suddenly, they entered a large room. "Ah," said Sam, "Catacombs." "Well that makes sense," said Nathan, "We are under a cathedral." The room was another tomb. There were ancient stone coffins stacked on top of stone shelves. The room's bricks and stone were crumbling ruins, and in the middle of the room was a large slab of rock. There were two golden candlesticks sitting on top, but they didn't bother with them. They would be worthless compared to the treasure they would find later! If they'd could only find the clues… The room ended, and led back to another chamber of the cave. The one cave wall was made of large stone bricks. Waking forward, they suddenly heard something. There were voices coming from a hole in the wall, just large enough for them to peep through without being noticed. It was Nadine, leaning over a large map sitting on a stone table. Next to her was a mercenary. Nathan looked at them. "Anything noteworthy by the dormitories?" Nadine asked. "Not unless you count cleverly worded headstones," replied the mercenary. Nadine sighed, "Have you finished digging by the Chapter House?" she asked. "We have ma'am." The mercenary replied, "The northwest sites are opened as well." Nadine looked back at her map and after a bit asked, "And what about the southern perimeter?" The door to their room opened. It was Rafe. "Nadine." Rafe said as he walked in, his eyes half-open. "I'll send a couple of men over there right away," the mercenary said answering Nadine's question. "Rafe," said Nadine, "Any luck with those manuscripts?" Rafe didn't answer right away. With his hands behind his back Rafe looked at the mercenary. "Can we have a minute?" he asked. Nadine motioned for the mercenary to leave. Obeying, the mercenary nodded, "Ma'am," he said respectfully, before leaving the room. Looking at the crates full of Shoreline supplies, Rafe kept his back to Nadine. "Did you hear?" Nadine asked, "They found a whole annexed area under the cathedral." Rafe stood there. His back still to Nadine, and his hands behind his back. "I did," he replied simply, "Have you seen it?" Nadine sat down on the stone table, and looked at Rafe. "No," she said, "Why?" Rafe sighed and turned to face Nadine, "Because there wasn't much left," he said with a tone of anger in his voice, "After they'd finished 'finding' it." Nadine sighed and nodded, "My men have been a bit liberal with the dynamite," she said. "They're like a hundred well-armed bulls in a china shop," Rafe said. Nadine cocked her head towards Rafe, who was now leaning over the stone table, and said, "But they've made more progress in two days than we've made in months." Rafe raised an eyebrow, "Progress?" he asked with sarcasm. He leaned in towards Nadine and said just above a whisper, "I can't analyze rubble." Nadine looked down, "OK," she replied before getting up, "OK," she repeated. "Thank you." Rafe said looking at Nadine's map. "I'll let them know they need to give you a heads-up before they do anything drastic," said Nadine. Rafe stood there, "Or," he said, "You can tell them to sit tight until I analyze the few clues that haven't been blown up." Nadine shook her head, "No," she said, "We can't sit around any longer." "With all due respect," Rafe said, "I think I have a bit more experience with this sort of thing than you do." Nadine huffed, "We tried things your way," she said. Rafe scoffed, "Right. You've been wanting to level this place ever since you've got here." Nadine went on the defensive, "No!" she said, "I wanted to steal that cross long before it even made it to that auction. The same auction where I couldn't have my men around to deal with any surprises." "The auction was the cleanest way to get to the cross," Rafe replied. Nadine jabbed her finger at Rafe, "But instead of going with my gut," said Nadine, "I listened to you, and now we have competition." "Well I didn't think he'd show up!" Rafe said. Nadine looked at Rafe, her eyes narrowed, "Or maybe you wanted to draw him out," she said. Rafe looked at Nadine, made a scoff and said, "Now why would I want to do that?" Nadine kept her eyes on Rafe, "Because you think you need him," she said, "And maybe you do. Point is, I'm tired of doing things the clean way. If the treasure is here, we'll find it. And if not, well…Maybe it's time to move on then." Rafe glared at Nadine, his eyes still half-closed, and his mouth closed and brooding. "Hey," said Nadine. She walked up and put her hand on Rafe's cheek, "It's not personal," she said. "Of course," Rafe said in a low voice. Making for the door, Nadine called back, "I'll let you know if anything turns up." The door closed, and Rafe was left alone in the room. Without warning, he let out a furious yell and swiped the maps and papers off of the table, before leaning against it, sighing darkly. Nathan looked at Sam, they had seen quite enough! "Let's get moving before they blow that treasure to bits," Nathan said quietly, "Or they start making out…" Sam replied. Nathan chuckled. "Hey, wait," Sam said, "Do you think Nadine was right?" "About what?" Nathan asked, "About Rafe wanting to draw you out." Sam replied. Nathan shrugged, "Well as long as he doesn't get the upper hand who cares?" Nathan said. They began walking across the room, away from the chapel. "Well at least their partnership is shaky at best," said Nathan, "Good news for us…" The ledge of the cave suddenly ended, and opened into another chamber. This chamber was nearly completely man-made, with carved stone pillars every ten feet. There was a large stone coffin at the center end of the room, and even metal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which was only about seven feet tall. Nathan looked at the other end of the room, which had several other stone coffins, some of which had been broken into, displaying the old skeletal remains underneath. They passed the room, which opened to yet another room, which had the large ravine running through it. They must've gone through a parallel passage in the rock Nathan figured. The ledge dropped off abruptly, and Nathan carefully jumped down. After landing, he gasped in terror at a sprawling skeleton leaning against the ledge. After looking at it a bit he noticed that the skeleton still had a haversack attached to him. Curious, Nathan opened it. Inside the pouch was a note. It read, "Let it be known that I—Thomas Howard, captain of the Dauntless, am a gullible fool. It started with the cross: a cryptic message with vague promises of the treasures of paradise. I was skeptical at first, but the idea of spending the remainder of my days at home, wondering what might have been, was too much to bear. And one does not ignore a letter from the King of Pirates. I survived being marooned off the coasts of Madagascar, and I survived an attack from enemy pirates, but I shall not survive this. My leg broken, and my crew, too cowardly to set foot in the accursed caverns, cannot hear my calls for help. Who would've thought that I would die such an ignoble death here? May God Himself curse you Henry Avery, and may my ghost haunt you the rest of your days!" Nathan sighed, and put the letter in his own pack. Sam jumped down and Nathan walked over to him, "Hey," he said, "Take a look at this," Sam looked at the letter, read it, and looked at Nathan, "Hmm." He said, "Hopefully we won't suffer the same fate…" Nathan gave Sam a look and they continued down into the caverns. Suddenly, the room opened into a massive chamber, far larger than the already gigantic rooms they had been inside. There was a large problem: the ledge they had been walking on ended. The only way to continue down the cave was to cross the ravine to another ledge on that side. The bridge connecting it was a gigantic wooden see-saw like structure. Sam looked at it, and said, "Well that really safe looking see-saw thing might do the trick." Nathan looked at it. While it may have been quite structurally sound three hundred years ago, its integrity was in question. The wood, though not rotting, still looked unstable. Sam looked at Nathan, "You got a coin?" Nathan shook his head, and jumped forward onto it. The structure creaked and groaned, and began tipping. Nathan ran to the center to try and even it out. Sam shouted over "Alright Nathan, I'll jump on and offset your weight, jump to the ledge, and I'll sprint over as fast as I can before it tips back." Nathan nodded, "Alright on my mark. Ready…Go!" Nathan made a rush for the ledge, the wood lifting up. He leapt over to the ledge, barely making it. Sam rushed, and before the board could tip back down, he jumped, and also made it. Just barely. Looking back at the see-saw, Nathan noticed the huge metal gears on the one side. If they had only noticed them before he might've been able to jam them. Oh well, it didn't matter, they were both on the other side. Sam sighed, "Well that's another test down," he said. Nathan huffed, "At this point I'd rather take another death trap," he said. "Well I just hope we're at the end of this thing," Sam said. As they continued down the ledge, they suddenly saw a pair of pillars that led into another room. It looked special enough to just maybe be where the treasure be… "Nathan!" Sam called, "Look over here!" Nathan jogged over. There it was. He entered through the pillared entryway, and walked up a stone staircase. It narrowed to a large stone hallway carved out of the cave wall itself. Beside him there were statues. Who exactly they were he couldn't tell. "OK," said Nathan, "Getting a bit dramatic with the statues…" Sam, behind him, huffed and said, "Seriously! Why decorate a treasure burial site?" "Or elaborate tests," Nathan said, "Either we're missing something, or Avery was just really, really bored." Suddenly the passage ended, and another staircase led down, down, down. The hall stayed the same height, but as you went down the stairs, it gave the illusion that the hallway was getting taller. There were carved pillars every twenty feet, and the scale of the place took Nathan's breath away. At the end of the hallway was a small opening, just high enough to let a man pass. The effect was made clear when the entered the next room. The ceiling was over fifty feet high. The walls were immaculately carved with ornate designs, and the floor was a tiled mosaic. At the very center of the massive room, was an extraordinarily carved stone table, with a pair of measuring scales on it. On one hand of the scales, there was a small pile of bronze coins. On the other hand was a glorious treasure. A St. Dismas cross, that was twice the size of any of the others, and was made of solid gold, and encrusted with precious gems. After finally taking in the size of the room, which was distracting enough to make them leave the cross for a few moments, Sam looked at it, "Well at least this one has some jewels on it," Sam said. He reached out, but Nathan stopped him in the nick of time. "Whoa! Whoa!" Nathan said, "Don't touch it." "What?" Sam asked, "Why?" Nathan chuckled, "Look at it!" he said, "It's the only valuable thing we've seen in this cave." Sam now understood, "Right…" he said. "This is another test," Nathan said. "Greed," Sam said. Nathan nodded. They looked at the cross, and then the small pile of bronze coins on the other hand. "Or lack thereof…" Nathan mused, "It's got to be the coins…This is why we saw the Libra constellation in the graveyard. It was talking about this test. We're going to have to pick up one of the coins." Sam looked at Nathan, "Are you sure about this?" Sam asked. "Pretty sure…" Nathan replied. Sam nodded and said, "Well pretty sure will have to do." He reached for the coins and Nathan said, jittery, "Alright, just one! Just one." He reached his hand towards the coins, "Please don't be a trap," Sam whispered with closed eyes before he tentatively picked up a single coin. The scale tipped towards the cross. Suddenly, a great golden light shined down from the ceiling. It bathed the room in light, in the shape of an island. It was Madagascar. The gigantic light lit up the already gigantic room, and at the very center of the room, was the spot the map pointed to. It was King's Bay, "That must be where Avery is telling us to go!" Sam said. "Yes it is," said Nathan. Sam chuckled, and tossed the coin into the air, grabbing it. "He's screwing with us," Sam said. "What are you talking about?" Nathan asked. "Avery!" Sam said, "He's screwing with us. This was supposed to be it, where's the treasure!? I mean King's Bay, great, but what's next? North Pole? Outer space? Nathan!" Nathan was trying to make sense of it himself. All signs had pointed to the treasure being here. Why wasn't it? Suddenly, he had a thought. He pointed to Sam and said, "For those who prove worthy," he pointed to King's Bay on the Madagascar map, "Paradise awaits! He…He was recruiting. Avery was recruiting!" "Recruiting for what?" Sam asked frustrated. Bang! With a tremendous explosion, the wall of the cave blew to smithereens. On the floor, Sam and Nathan looked up. Nadine and two mercenaries strode inside, the mercenaries pointing AK's at them. Nathan sighed, "You gentlemen are very, very noisy," Nadine said. Holding their hands up, Nathan cringed. "Guns on the floor," Nadine demanded, "Slowly." Reluctantly, Sam and Nathan complied, and Nadine took out her walkie-talkie, "Rafe," she said speaking into it, "I'm at the graveyard," Rafe's voice came in, "They were here," Nadine huffed, "Yeah I know, I'm looking at them right now." "What?" Rafe said, "Where are you?" "Come back to the cathedral," replied Nadine, "Follow the holes." "Alright," Rafe said, "And please don't shoot them yet!" "Might want to hurry then," Nadine said. Nathan suddenly got an idea. He noticed a seam running from the tiled floor, to the natural rock floor of the cave. Would the tiled floor collapse if somebody picked up the cross? Nathan looked at Sam, who nodded. He'd thought of it too. Nadine looked at the map of Madagascar on the floor. "King's Bay." She said pointing. "Yeah," said Sam, "But where in King's Bay? You need to pick up that cross to figure it out, but…There are only two people who can tell you how to use it." Nadine sighed, "Let me guess," she said, "You two." Nathan replied, "Well you leave it to Rafe and you'll be waiting a long time." Nadine put her hands on her hips, "Sorry boys," she said, "I'm not here to negotiate…Bring me the crucifix," she commanded to one of her mercenaries. "It's not a crucifix," Nathan said. "What?" Nadine asked. "Well technically a crucifix refers to a cross that, you know, never mind." Nathan and Sam took three careful steps back. Nadine suddenly noticed, "Don't touch it!" she shouted to her mercenary. Too late. The second the mercenary picked the cross up, the floor began crumbling. Nadine made a mad dash for the edge, and jumped to safety just before the entire center of the cave room had collapsed. One of the mercenaries screamed as he fell nearly one hundred feet to his death. "Shoot them!" Nadine shouted. Nathan and Sam, who had begun making a break for the blast hole Nadine had created, were suddenly under a rain of bullets from an AK. Nathan hid behind a pillar, but suddenly he saw it crack. The entire room was collapsing on top of them all! Nathan rushed towards the next pillar, the mercenaries shooting at them. However, once large boulders began falling towards the entrance, the mercenaries panicked, and ignoring Nadine's order, they all made a break for the entrance hole to the outside Nadine had blown out. Running towards it, the rim of the floor was gapped, and he'd have to jump. He lunged for it, but the stone cracked, and he fell down into the pit. He landed on a ledge just barely falling to his death. He saw the gigantic stone pillar that had held up the floor all this time. He jumped onto it, "Hold on Nathan!" he heard Sam shout, "I'll cover you!" Nathan was fortunate, since the gigantic pillar was uneven, and had plenty of holds. He jumped up, and suddenly, the main pillar cracked. Nathan jumped with all his might, constantly being shot at by the mercenaries that were brave enough to follow Nadine's orders. Bullets slammed into the pillar, and Nathan had to hide behind it to escape the hail fire. The front half of the pillar began to tip, Nathan got out of the way, and the top of it fell, before crashing down at the bottom of the pit. More of the rim of the floor began to collapse, and Nathan saw his chance. He jumped up to the broken top of the pillar, and saw a mercenary directly in front of him on the rim of the floor. He yelled, and leapt off of the pillar, landing on the mercenary, and punching him square in the jaw. "And stay down!" Nathan shouted. He quickly grabbed the mercenaries' pistol, then began frantically running towards the entrance of the cave. There were two mercenaries standing just outside the exit to the cave. Nathan shot them down and continued sprinting. Any second and they could either be trapped in the room, or fall to their deaths as the floor crumbled below their feet. Suddenly, the worst happened. The exit hole to the cave was suddenly blocked by a massive boulder that crashed right in front of it. "What's the plan now!?" Sam shouted. Nathan looked around. More and more of the rim of the floor was collapsing, pillars were tumbling to the ground, and rocks were falling from the roof of the cave. "Up there!" Sam shouted as he pointed up. There was another area of the cave above them! Nathan calculated. If he climbed up the last pillar standing in the room, he could make it. He and Sam jumped for it, climbing up the cracks forming in it. They reached the top of the pillar and grabbed the ledge, clambering to their feet just before the pillar toppled to the ground. Suddenly more gunshots rained down on them! There were mercenaries that had camped out on the ledge, waiting for them. The mercenaries began shooting, but Nathan was able to dodge out of the way just in time. There was a large rock Nathan rolled behind. He snatched his pistol and shot the mercenary, taking him down. The other two relentlessly shot, and Nathan had to wait until their clips ran out before he could risk shooting himself. Fortunately for Nathan and Sam, the mercenaries had little to no cover. While Nathan couldn't quite tell, the mercenaries looked like they were wearing black masks, with skull-like details on them. When another mercenary popped out, Nathan took a shot, and he fell. There was a tunnel that led out of the room, and Sam and Nathan took it. They saw the shadow of a mercenary come their way in the light of the lamps lining the cave walls that Shoreline had put there. As soon as the mercenary turned the hall corner, Nathan grabbed him by the throat, pinned him against the wall, and punched him out cold. "We really kicked the hornet's nest didn't we?" Sam said. Nathan huffed and replied, "Yeah we kicked it, punched it and set it on fire!" Sam laughed as they rushed down the hallway. This led to another room. Nathan realized that these tunnels they were running through weren't natural at all. They were tunnels that Shoreline had burrowed to help with the explosions. They were right underneath the cathedral. He looked to the next chamber. There were crates, and stamped on them in bright red paint were the words, "Danger." Nathan chuckled to himself. Dynamite crates. He grabbed a stick, and waited. Seven mercenaries ran into the chamber. Nathan pulled the cap off the stick and threw it into the room. He ducked, and then felt a shockwave. The dynamite had exploded. He ran into the room, passing the bodies of the mercenaries. The next room was massive, and Shoreline had propped up wooden supports for the roof. The roof of the cave in this room was full of cracks. The rock was crumbling. Obviously the explosions in the cathedral had weakened the roof of the cave. Suddenly, he heard a high pitched beep, which sped up. A grenade! Nathan dodged, but the explosion shook him up. He tried to get his bearings, when suddenly a bullet whizzed past his ear to close, he could feel its heat. He gasped, and ducked still lower, before kneeling. He saw one of the wooden pillars was right in front of him. He rolled over behind it, before looking out. There were only two mercenaries in this room. He shot one, and Sam shot the other. They made a dash for the end of the room, which pointed upwards. They saw light at the end of the tunnel, and they ran into the cold, snowy outside. At first, they were nearly blinded by the light, but they struggled to regain their bearings. The cathedral was very close to where Sully's plane was at. Nathan was near the end of the cathedral, closest to the ocean. Nathan radioed in, "Hey Sully! We're ready to go here! Preferably, right now!" Sully responded, "Hey kid look, there's no place to land here, can you make it to the water?" Nathan sighed, "Yeah sure," he said, "Just start up the engines!" They ran out of the cathedral grounds, and ran towards the cliff down to the ocean. There was a rocky slope that Nathan made for. He began sliding down, until he reached a ledge in the cliff. There were three mercenaries on the cliff. Nathan ignored them, instead braving their bullets. There was another slope that Nathan saw. If he slid down it, he could jump off, and land in the water thirty feet below. Nathan and Sam jumped onto the slope, and slid down, "Here we go!" shouted Nathan, "Get ready!" At the end of the slope, they jumped, and smacked into the ice cold water. Nathan dove underwater to escape the bullets the mercenaries still shot down. When he reached the plane, he threw open the door, "Sully get her going!" he shouted. The planes propellers began spinning, and Nathan helped Sam into the plane. Bullets pinged off the side of the plane, but couldn't penetrate the thick metal. As they began taking off, Nathan hurriedly shut the door, and they lift off, escaping out of Rafe's hands.

Wrapped in a blanket, Nathan handed one to Sam. "Here," he said handing Sam a blanket. Nathan sniffed and moved up to the co-pilot's seat next to Sully. Sam dried himself off on a seat in the middle of the plane. "That was a close one huh?" Nathan said looking at Sully. Sully shook his head, "They shot up my blasted plane Nate!" Sully said. "We're fine, thanks!" Sam said from the back. Nathan sighed, "How soon can you get us to Madagascar?" he asked. Sully rolled his eyes, "No treasure then," he said. "Not yet," Nathan replied. A few seconds passed. "I don't know what you're talking about," said Sam, "look." He held up the bronze coin he had got from Avery's test, "We're rich!" he said. Sully took the coin in his hand and looked it over. He scoffed, "Well I suppose it's a start," he said, "You think the rest of it is in Madagascar?" Nathan took the coin and replied, "Well there was a chamber in the cave with a giant map of Madagascar on the floor, so…Yeah it's probably there." Sully shook his head, "This is beginning to smell a whole lot like a wild goose kid," he said. "Look," said Nathan, "The treasure was never in Scotland." "Then what was all the point of that?" asked Sam, "About the St. Dismas cross?" "Like I said," Nathan said trying to explain, "I think Avery was recruiting people. The cross was an invitation, and the caves were a kind of initiation." Sam walked over, closer to the cockpit. "Oh so we passed?" he asked, "Congrats Victor, we all get eye patches and parrots now." Sully shook his head, "I don't get it," he said, "Why would they go through all that bother just to weed people out? It doesn't make any sense." "To protect himself!" Nathan replied, "Look Avery was the most wanted man in the world at that time. He had to enlist people he could trust in order to keep their treasure secret." Sam raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean their treasure?" Nathan looked back at Sam and replied, "Think about this…Thomas Tew was a successful pirate in his own right. What could he possibly gain from joining Avery?" The plane rattled as they hit a gust of wind. "I think Avery only sent out crosses to other wealthy pirates like himself. What if they pooled all of their treasure together?" The three of them thought it over in silence. "That would make the Gunsway hall," Sam said, "Look like chump change." "Exactly!" Nathan replied. Sully shook his head and chuckled. "Ok," he said, "so where exactly in Madagascar are we headed?" "King's Bay," Sam replied, "It was an old pirate haven back in Avery's time." Sully nodded, "It's a big place," he said looking back at Sam, "anything more specific?" Sam huffed, "Well that map chamber completely caved in so…you know." He threw up his hand in frustration. After a bit, Nathan looked out the plane's windshield and chuckled. "What are you laughing about?" Sam asked. Nathan turned to Sam, and making enthusiastic hand gestures said, "The people who survived the caves…the recruits. What's the one thing they would've left with?" He held up the bronze coin, and flipped it over to Sam. Sam looked the coin over. Though the image was faded and worn down, he could still clearly tell what the image was. "There's a volcano on this," Sam said. Sully opened his mouth, let out a long, "Oh…" and said, "There's a volcano near King's Bay. Which means we need to get a move on!" Sully turned some switches on the plane, and they began making off for the island of Madagascar.


	7. Chapter 7: The Twelve Towers

Chapter 7

The Twelve Towers

Looking down at the table, Elena sighed. She was sitting in her dark living room, it was late, and she missed Nathan. Her meals had been eaten in silence, her work done in silence, and her time spent in silence. Sighing, she finished off the last of her Chinese takeout, and looked at her wall. There was a photo of her and Nathan, off on their adventure in Tibet. Only Nathan wasn't here now. The shadows on the wall were long, and the only light was from the streetlights just outside. She heard a noise on the coffee table. It was her cell phone vibrating. She picked it up. It was Nathan. With a smile she answered and got up off the couch, "Hey!" she said, "Hey Nate?" "Hi honey!" Nathan replied. Nathan, on the other side of the world, in Madagascar, was nearing a small village to lodge in. He adjusted his pistol holster. "I've been trying to get a hold of you," Elena said, "Are you OK?" "Yeah of course," Nathan said, "What do you mean?" Elena sighed and said, "Well you know, there's been all that flooding. Maybe going to Malaysia during the monsoon season wasn't such a good idea." Nathan chucked nervously, "Yeah, right." He said, "Yeah it grounded us for sure, you know. Had some equipment failure but you know, no-one's hurt or anything." Elena sighed, "Well as long as you guys are safe," she said, "So are you going to start work tomorrow?" "Uh, postponed actually," Nathan replied, "Looks like we're going to need another ten days or so." Elena closed her eyes. That long? She had spent enough time away from her husband, another ten days seemed too long, "Ugh," she said, "Ten days?" She walked over to her laptop and switched it on, "Hey, honey, why don't I just buy a ticket then?" Nathan felt a slight panic, "Oh," he said, "You don't have to do that, you know these guys they always tend to overestimate things…I'm sure it'll be less time than that." Elena sat there on the couch. Staring. What was wrong with Nathan? After a pause she replied, "OK…Well…You know, don't rush, make sure you're safe." "Oh, I will," Nathan said, "Always do." Sam motioned for Nathan to come into the lodge, "Oh," said Nathan, "I have to go, Jameson's calling me over." Elena closed her eyes. "OK." She said simply. "I love you," she heard Nathan say. "Love you too," she replied. "Goodbye." "See you," Nathan replied before the call ended. That was it. Elena still held the phone up to her ear several seconds after their farewells, as if Nathan might come back if she did. Elena's eyes narrowed, close to tears. She put the phone down, and shut it off.

The terrain was rough and rocky. The volcano was just up ahead, and though it had been extinct for hundreds of years, Nathan still couldn't help picturing it as smoking. The cone shaped mountain had a large hole at the top, and it looked like it was pulled right out of a dinosaur movie. There were twisted acacia trees and the soil was a deep orange color, filled with clay. The skies were enormous overhead, and puffy white clouds filled them. The craggy rocks leading to the volcano looked intimidating, and the entire landscape had an unescapable primeval feel. Sam looked over the impressive scene, he flipped the bronze coin in his hand. "What're the satellites saying Victor?" He turned around. Sully was holding the handheld GPS in his hand high in the air, and spinning it around, trying to get a signal. "Right now not a blasted thing," Sully replied. Nathan, his hands crossed over the steering wheel on their jeep sighed. "Lost the signal," Sully said. Nathan rolled his eyes, and got out of the jeep, he'd been waiting for that useless GPS for too long, "Hey," Nathan said, "You know what never loses its signal? Paper!" Nathan got out a map of the area and spread it out on the hood of the jeep. "Alright," Nathan said, "This route right here should take us directly to the volcano, it's kind of convoluted, but we should get there soon anyway. Within forty minutes or so I think. Might get a little bumpy…" Sam nodded, "Let's get this show on the road," he said. Nathan got inside the jeep and turned the key. The engine sputtered to life. As they began rumbling down the barely used dirt track to the volcano, Sully asked Nathan, "So, what are we looking for out there?" "Well," Nathan replied, "The map shows all these structures around the volcano, twelve by my count. Some abandoned outposts and watchtowers." "Watchtowers?" Sully asked, "Well Avery was the most wanted man in the world," Sam replied, "so if he was hiding out here it makes sense he'd need lookouts." "And one of those towers is right on the volcano," said Nathan. "With Avery's treasure?" Sully asked. Nathan shrugged, "Fingers crossed," he said. The jeep continued rumbling along the dusty path. It amazed Nathan how orange the soil was, as if the earth had been living on carrots for thousands of years. After a bit, they came across what looked like old ruins. There was a crumbling stone brick staircase leading up to it. Nathan drove up to it and parked the jeep, "You guys wait here," he said, "I'll go take a look." As Nathan walked away from the jeep, he could still hear Sam and Sully small-talking in it. Even when he reached the ruins, there was an echo that let Nathan hear everything they said, "So Victor," Sam said, "you still do a lot of travelling these days?" "Eh, I try," Sully replied, "I tend to pick jobs that get me away from the computer." Nathan began walking up the staircase. "Yeah I was telling Nathan," Sam said, "It's shocking how much business has moved to the internet. I mean I'm sure you have plenty of options to get rid of new cargo now." Nathan heard Sully huff, "Yeah sure," he said, "But I prefer talking to clients face-to-face. Get a good read on 'em. Hard to do that in a chat box with a guy named Antiquities Master 37." Nathan chuckled to himself. Sully had always been that way. The ruins were almost totally bare. No clues he could see, much less treasure. The elements had certainly taken their toll. They weren't large ruins, robably a single small building or maintenance shack. "Not much to see here," Nathan said to himself. After doing one more once-over, he walked back down the steps, and entered the jeep. He turned the keys to the jeep, "Well?" Sam asked, "Ah, nothing worthwhile," Nathan replied. The jeep sputtered back to life, and they continued making their way to the volcano. After navigating through a particularly muddy spot Nathan chuckled and looked at Sully, "So hey with our luck," he said, "What are the chances of this thing erupting?" Sully huffed, "Zero." He said, "It's extinct. Trust me, that's the first thing I looked up when you said we were heading to a volcano…that and where to rent the cheapest 4x4." "Wait, Sully," Nathan said, "You're trying to tell me that you actually did some research this time? You never have before." "Well I can't let you be the know-it-all every time kid!" Sully replied. "Well I certainly know you did the research," Nathan said. "How's that?" Sully asked. Nathan gave Sully a grin and said, "Because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this has to be the cheapest 4x4 in Madagascar!" Sully shook his head. The path began to get even wetter and muddier, then it turned to rock. Beside them was a small river. The trees began to grow closer together, along with water weed and cattails. A small flock of spurwing geese flapped out of the water away from the jeep. Just ahead of them was a waterfall, about 30 feet high. It wasn't very large, and Nathan looked it over. He parked the jeep right next to it and got out. He looked back at Sully and Sam, shrugged, and entered the waterfall. The water, cold but not unwelcome, poured all over Nathan. After pushing through the curtain of water, he saw there was a small cave that had been behind the waterfall. He entered carefully. Looking around, it wasn't a large cave, no tunnels or passages, though it was plenty large enough for some sort of structure. He turned a corner, and sure enough, there was one. It was a small barely standing wooden structure with aging sacks of grain that had turned to dust inside, and other exports. There was a small desk, and on the desk was a note. Carefully, he picked it up. The handwriting was impeccable, and he looked at it. It was written by a man named Captain Harrison, and was dated June 2nd, 1702. A full three years after Henry Avery's disappearance. It read, "It has been three days since you and your regiment have set out for the towers, and our hopes that you should find and apprehend Captain Avery have dwindled, along with supplies. Finding this pirate hideaway after years of false leads has bolstered my men's morale, but after days of cowering in this cave, the men are growing restless and fearful. They do not wish to starve here, or worse, return to King's Bay empty handed. Therefore, in direct defiance of your orders, come morning, we shall take what supplies and armaments we can carry from this place, and head to the towers ourselves. By God's grace we shall capture the Captain, and bring him to justice. God willing, we shall rendezvous with you there." The letter was signed by Lt. Sherwood, 4th foot regiment of the East India Company. Nathan folded the note and put it in his journal. With that, he looked around. Nothing else. He began walking back towards the jeep. When he got back, Sam looked at him with expectant eyes, "What was back there? A cave?" "Yeah," Nathan replied. "Anything in there?" "No." Nathan said. Nathan began making his way out of the more swampy area, but still the mud lingered. There was a small stone ramp, and just for the sake of doing it, Nathan drove over, and jumped the ramp. It was a much more pathetic jump than he had envisioned. Sully shook his head at Nathan and said, "Hey kid, does this thing come with airbags? Or parachutes?" Nathan shrugged, "Hey you tell me. Maybe if it wasn't such a cheap rental it might've…" "Shut up…" Sully retorted. Nathan laughed. After driving up out of the swamp, they saw a large ravine. The ravine was spanned by a bridge that looked like its inspection date had been ignored for a long, long time. It was made of wood, but it would've been just as structurally sound if it had been made of paper towels. There was no other way to cross the ravine. Looking behind him at Sam, he shrugged, "It's the only way across," Nathan said. Sam shook his head and threw up his hands. "Alright kid," said Sully, "Just don't drop us." Nathan gently revved the engine and the jeep pushed forward. The bridge creaked and groaned agonizingly loud. "Alright," said Sam nervously, "Just keep it in the center, keep it slow…" Nathan, with racked nerved said, "Yeah, a lot of backseat driving going on, please can everyone shut up until we get across this-" Crack! The entire bridge seemed to buckle. The main support beam had cracked. The jeep however, didn't fall off the bridge. The section they were on partially collapsed from the weight. "We're good," Nathan said, "Everything's good." Sam and Sully breathed out, and Nathan made his way off. "Made it," Nathan said taking a sigh of relief. "Onwards and upwards," Sully said. Nathan shook his head. They were beginning to enter the rocky labyrinth that sat just between them and the volcano. It was a convoluted and muddy route, but the only one they had. Nathan kept driving, keeping the tall volcano always in front. Suddenly the path dropped. They would have to drive past a straight down rock ledge about six feet high. Nathan braced himself and drove, the front half of the jeep tipped over and smashed into the ground below, then the bottom half rolled off, and smashed down. "Oh, my spine," Sully said with a wince. "Hang in there Sully," Nathan said. They continued rolling forward, until they reached a dead end. After rerouting, they found another path, and went down it. As Nathan drove, he noticed something odd on the ground. There were tire tracks. Somebody had been on the route before them…Suddenly Nathan saw a trio of small animals jump in front of the jeep. He halted it. It was a small group of ring-tailed lemurs. He let them pass before they began dismounting the rock. The bumps on the path began to really take their toll on the three men. Nathan heard Sam call out, "Hey Nathan stop! Look there on the hill. There's a tower or something." Nathan looked. A bit further up the hill was another watchtower. Nathan began making for it. As soon as he revved the engine, they went on with the unbearable bumping and thrashing. "So Victor," Sam asked, "What were you arguing with the rental guy about?" Sully huffed and replied, "Oh your brother insisted on getting a 4x4 with a winch." Sam nodded, "Oh so you sprung for the winch but you said 'screw the suspension' I got it." "Hey it's important!" Nathan fired back, "We're off-road, it might rain, it might be muddy…" "But with Nate being so eager," Sully said, "He doubled the price." "He would've doubled it anyway," Nathan replied. Sully sneered, "I'll bet we'll go through this whole blasted thing and never use that winch." Nathan didn't reply. The huge bump he just went over had knocked the thought right out of his head.

After a small bit they reached the tower. Nathan's back was ready to call it a day, and he was beginning to regret getting the winched jeep himself…The tower was just in front of them now. "Alright," said Nathan, "Let's go check out that tower." He got out of the jeep. "I'll come with you," Sam said getting out. Nathan nodded and they looked the tower over. "In pretty good shape for something several hundred years old," Sam said. True enough, though parts of it were crumbling and decayed, for the most part, the tower was intact. There was a stone staircase that led up to the tower. The bricks and masonry of the actual watchtower was still fairly stable. The one wall had a massive hole in it however. Nathan entered the tower itself. He immediately noticed a large symbol in the middle of the room. It was a serpentine dragon on the floor. "Hey Sam!" he called, "Take a look at this!" Sam jumped into the room. He kneeled down to get a closer look at the large sigil on the floor. "That's Christopher Condent's sigil," said Nathan, "Captain of the Fiery Dragon, operated out of Madagascar around Avery's time." "So…" Sam said, "Avery was recruiting pirate captains to be what? His lookouts? That doesn't make sense." "No," Nathan replied, "It doesn't…" They looked at the sigil from one direction, then another. "Well," Sam said trying to make sense of it all, "maybe each captain was responsible for a tower, and maybe providing men for it? Whatever the case, this certainly isn't the last stop on the tour." Nathan left the tower. He looked the area over. The slope next to the tower would be too steep for the jeep to climb up itself. It was not only extremely muddy, but extremely steep. Nathan looked around. There was no other route for them to take. He saw a large tree at the top of the slope. He grinned. "I guess we'll be using the winch after all," Nathan said to himself. He began walking down back to the jeep. Sully looked at Nathan as he grabbed the winch. With the winch in hand, Nathan grinned, "Hey Sully," he said, "Did you know our jeep came with a winch?" "No!" Sully said in a sarcastic tone of voice, "Really? I didn't know. What are you going to do with it?" Pulling the winch up the staircase Nathan replied, "Not sure yet…" He made it to the top of the slope and wrapped the winch around the tree. Looking down the slope, he chuckled and slid down the muddy slope. After getting back to the jeep Sully smiled at Nathan, "That looked like fun," he said with a chuckle. "Steeper than it looks," Nathan said. He turned the jeep on and activated the winch. Slowly and surely he began clambering up the muddy slope. "Ready?" Nathan asked, "Give it a shot…" Sully replied. The winch groaned as they slowly crawled up the slope. Before long, they reached the top. Nathan triumphantly laughed and looked at Sully, "Ha! See Sully? Winch. Totally worth it!" Not to be proven wrong, Sully huffed, "All we did was clear a hill. Stupid thing hasn't exactly paid for itself…" Nathan got out of the jeep to unhook the winch, "Well," he said, "Not yet. Small victories." "Yeah well," Sully replied, "I'll celebrate when the big ones arrive…" Sam and Nathan got back in the jeep and after a short distance, they reached vista, with the volcano spreading out before them spectacularly. "Feast your eyes gentlemen," Nathan said. They just sat there, admiring the volcano's awe-inspiring beauty and power. Though extinct, it still looked formidable and imposing. "Just imagine," said Sam, "You've come here, a well-to-do pirate, far away from your oppressive government…" Sully laughed, "Ah, those poor oppressed pirates. All they wanted to do was murder and pillage in peace." "No!" Sam replied, "They wanted to be free men." "Well if you were picking a place to run away from society," said Nathan, "You could sure do a lot worse than here!" The rocky labyrinth they had been in started to open up, and a large plain opened up in front of them. It was a relief to Nathan that the bumps and rocks would start to stop! After a bit of driving Sully sighed, "It's taking forever to get to this volcano!" He said impatiently. "Patience Victor," said Sam, "Patience. Do you know how those pirates got here? They had to start in England, sail to Brazil, then cut back across the Atlantic to South Africa," "Sam." Sully said, "And," Sam continued, "They figured all that out with paper, charts, and looking at the stars." "You're describing sailing to a former squid," Sully said with a huff. "Look," Sam said, "The point is, we got it pretty easy." "Yeah…Well," Sully said, "It's still taking a pretty long time." Nathan kept going along the path until they saw yet another tower. "Well would you look at that," said Sam, "Well go ahead towards there, we can scope it out and try to-" Bang! In the near distance they saw a cloud of dust come up from an explosion. There were people at the tower, blowing something up. "Stop! Stop!" Sully said. Everyone in the jeep fell silent. "I see them," Nathan said with a sigh. He opened the glove box and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Looking through them, he surveyed the men. "What do we got?" Sam asked. "Military types poking around," Nathan replied. "Nadine's guys?" Sam asked. "Yep." Nathan said. Sully shook his head. "How did they get here so quickly?" Sully asked. "Looks like they found an old colony outpost," Nathan said. "But the wrong one right?" Sully said, Nathan nodded, "That's the good news." Nathan handed Sully the binoculars. "That means there's bad news." Sully said. Nathan huffed, "The only way to get to the volcano is right through them. We can't go past those giant rocks…" "Well we do have the drop on them," Sully said. Nathan sat there, staring out at the men, tapping his finger on the steering wheel. "Well what's the plan?" Sam asked. Nathan still sat there, staring. He sighed and opened the door to the jeep, "Just follow my lead," he said. He jumped out of the car, followed by Sam and Sully. All three took out their pistols and began waking. Nathan looked carefully. He counted one…three…six…seven. Too many to alert at once. They would have to stealthily knock them down, or risk getting overwhelmed. Seven mercenaries were more than enough. They began carefully making for the tower. This particular tower was slightly larger than the previous ones, and there was tall grass growing all over the place, good news for Nathan. The tower also had other outbuilding ruins next to it. It seemed like Nadine had picked out the largest tower for them to work on first. Nathan, Sully and Sam each crept silently through the grass, without making a sound. Like a leopard stalking its prey, they honed in on the mercenaries. Nathan knew they would have to stealthily take out the mercenaries one by one. No gunshots. As soon as a bullet would sound, they knew more mercenaries would be on their way. Nathan led the way. There was one mercenary on the outskirts of the tower, right in front of Nathan. The mercenary took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Nathan seized the mercenaries' distracted state. He lunged, and knocked the man out cold. One down, six more to go. Sully gave Nathan the thumbs up, and they began making for the outbuilding. Inside the building was another mercenary, leaning against the wall. Suddenly he heard one of them, Nathan assumed their leader, speak. "Alright gentlemen," he said, "it's going to be a hot, long day and we have lots to do. Now remember, if those Drake boys show their pretty faces, you all know what to do!" Nathan looked at Sam, who grinned, "Did you hear that," Sam said, "He said you have a pretty face." Nathan shook his head. "I sure do," replied another mercenary, "I just hope I bag one of 'em first!" Nathan began navigating around the building. The man was standing right next to the door. Nathan slinked up to the door, lunged, and knocked the man out. Another one down. "Sorry pal," Nathan said under his breath, "I'm afraid you won't be bagging anything today." The mercenary had an AK on him. Nathan took it and slung it over his shoulder. "Hey!" called a voice outside the building, "Did you hear anything in there?" Nathan's ears pricked, "Oh no," he said softly. He peeped out a window. There were two mercenaries heading towards the building, and there was no way out. The windows were too small for him to escape. He pressed himself against the wall right next to the door. Suddenly he heard punches, and then dragging noises. He cautiously looked out the door. Sam and Sully were motioning for him to come forward. They had knocked the two men out themselves. Nathan crouched in the tall grass. "Thanks," he said. Sam nodded, and then pointed. There was a sniper at the very top of the tower. Fortunately, he didn't look like the most vigilant sniper, as a vigilant one would've at least thought he'd seen Nathan. Sam and Sully began making for the tower. As they went, they passed another outbuilding with a stone wall reaching beyond it. Nathan thought he saw something unusual sitting on the wall. He crept up against the wall, keeping himself out of view. There were two mercenaries standing about six yards away from the wall. It was a detonator! Just as he discovered this, the two men started talking, "Howitt," one of the men said, "You got that detonator hooked up yet?" Howitt replied, "We're all set. Just waiting on approval from Nadine to blow it." "Good," said the other, "Place looks empty. I'd just like to get it over with." Nathan took a step closer to the detonator, but suddenly the strap for the AK slipped. The AK hit the ground. Nathan snatched it and laid down flat against the wall. "Hey!" Howitt called, "I spotted something!" The other mercenary stepped closer. Nathan crammed himself against the wall, feeling the hot dust against his scalp. "Watch you back," said Howitt. Nathan's heart was racing, but he kept his breathing firmly under control. He heard the men's footsteps coming closer, then he saw their shadows cast ominously overtop the wall. A few agonizing seconds passed. "You got anything?" asked Howitt. The man replied after another pause, "No. it's gone, whatever it was." They began walking away. Nathan gasped in relief, and shimmied away from the wall. He waited and looked. There were only three mercenaries left, but Nathan still didn't know how he'd be able to reach the sniper. He went back to Sam and pointed at the two mercenaries, who were now talking to each other. Sam nodded and they crept up to them, "How's Stevens doing?" asked Howitt, "Oh he's fine," replied the other man, "As long as he keeps a bird's eye view of the place from the tower, we're in no danger." Nathan and Sam both lunged and knocked them both out. "OK," Sam said, "But how are we going to get that sniper down?" Nathan thought for a moment, then looked over the unconscious body of Howitt. He had a walkie-talkie on him. Nathan picked it up, and said in his best British accent, "Stevens? Stevens do you copy?" After a few seconds, he looked up at the top of the tower, the sniper took out his walkie-talkie, "I copy. Proceed." Nathan replied, "Nadine just radioed in. They've found the right tower. This one was wrong the whole time. Come on down, we're leaving." "Copy that." Stevens said. Sam and Nathan watched. They saw the sniper put his rifle in his case, and begin climbing down. Nathan and Sam made a rush for the entrance of the tower. They waited until they heard footsteps, and then, before Stevens even knew what had happened, they had knocked him out. They dragged his body into the grass and saw Sully come up. "OK," said Nathan, "I think that's it." Sully met up with them and Sam growled in frustration, "Rafe and Nadine must have dozens of guys out here," said Sam, "They could just stumble upon the treasure through blind luck!" Nathan sighed. He walked back to the detonator and gave it a look. "Well looks like Nadine hasn't given up on excavation with explosions," said Nathan, "Rafe can't be too happy about that." "I don't think Rafe has much of a say in the matter," said Sully. They looked around the place for about twenty minutes. There wasn't anything there. "Well at least we took care of some Shoreline imposters," Sam said. They walked back to the jeep and began driving. The tower was on a raised mound of dirt and sand. The only way out towards the volcano was by driving across another rickety wooden bridge that reached the tall rocks above the mound. Nathan drove the jeep to it and began driving. The bridge was only about ten feet off the ground. Suddenly with a gigantic crack, the entire bridge middle collapsed, and the jeep crashed into the ground with a mighty thud. Shaken, the three men shifted back into their seats. "These pirates really need to work on their infrastructure!" Sully said. The two ends of the bridge were still upright, though the middle was history. Nathan thought for a second, then noticed the two supports holding up the end of the bridge they were trying to get to. If he could break the supports, then they could use the end of the bridge like a ramp and climb out of the divot. He got out of the jeep and wrapped the winch around one of the supports. He then got back in the jeep and put it in reverse. Then he slammed his foot down on the gas. The jeep kicked up dust and gravel as it yanked and pulled on the wooden beam. The support had been standing for over three hundred years, but this was its last stand. With a groan, it snapped. Nathan repeated the process with the other support, which also gave way. The bridge end fell, and turned into a ramp for them. As they drove up it, Nathan laughed and said, "Again with the winch Sully! Pretty handy right?" Sully shook his head, "Look," he said, slightly annoyed, "I wasn't against getting the winch I was against getting ripped off!" They began driving across the dry plain once again, "So Sully," Nathan said, "Just how well do you know Nadine?" "Why?" Sully asked. "Well," Nathan replied, "I didn't know if maybe you could contact her, convince her to call off her goons." Sully laughed, "Ha! Yeah right." Nathan persisted, "Well hey, what if we promised her a bigger cut than Rafe?" Sully shook his head, "No. That's not how she operates. She's more of a money-up-front kind of mercenary, so Rafe's got the advantage there." They got ever closer to the volcano. They turned another corner and reached a large vista. The slopes of the volcano began rising. There were two roads in the near distance, and two large military looking vehicles driving on them. "Look," Sam said, "Shoreline." "They're getting awful close to that volcano," said Sully. "What if they found the treasure already?" Sam asked. Nathan pointed, "Well look, they're searching every inch of this place. They wouldn't be combing it all over if they'd found it already." Sam nodded, "Yeah you're right," he said. They came to a large oasis in the plain. There were tall baobab trees with incredibly thick trunks lining the edge of the pool. Passing the pool, Sully looked over his shoulder at Sam in the backseat, "Hey Sam," he said, "If you don't mind my asking, how'd you spend your time in prison?" Sam shrugged, "Well you know, reading mostly. There was this one guard, saw me as a charity case I guess. He'd check out books from the library for me." Sully nodded, "So what did you read?" "Well," Sam replied, "History. Especially everything related to Avery and other pirates. Just in case…you know." "Sure." Sully replied. "Well, besides push-ups," Sam said, "smoking, trying to stay out of fights between rival gangs…Just a whole lot of thinking. That's pretty much it." After a bit Sam saw something, "Hey is that a well?" Sam asked. Nathan drove up. Indeed it was, and it looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. Nathan looked into it. It was dry, but it didn't look like a simple hole. He climbed into the well and jumped down. Indeed, the inside of the well wasn't a ditch, but a small cave. It even had wooden supports and storage bins. He looked around. There was a large ditch in the center of the cave still partially filled with water. He walked a bit further until he saw two human skeletons sprawled on the ground. There were two cutlasses right beside them. Either they had dueled to the death, or they had fought something off. He walked over to the other end of the cave room, which was only about 40 feet long and 18 feet wide. He walked next to a wooden support lying next to the support was another note. Nathan picked it up. The note looked like it was slightly burned around the edges, though none of the text was missing or burned. This note was dated for June 11 1702, the same year of the last note Nathan had found. However, the note was not written by the same lot of British soldiers as the last. This note spoke of how glad the writer was that he had killed the British soldiers, and how he would make very good use of their boots and pistols. At the bottom of the note was the sigil of Thomas Tew. The author of the note was Avery's accomplice himself! He looked around. There was nothing much of value inside the cave. He went back to the entrance hole and climbed back out. When he reached the jeep Sully looked at him expectantly, "Well?" he asked. "Eh, nothing major," Nathan replied. "I'll show you back at the hotel." He turned the jeep back on and they began driving ever closer to the volcano. As they drove Nathan thought for a moment. Then he turned to Sam and asked, "Hey Sam, if you had a guard that did you favors then why didn't you ask him to get word to us?" "Oh I tried," said Sam, "I asked him to mail a letter…to your P.O. Box." "I never got it," said Nathan. Sam sighed, "Yeah well that would be because the warden saw it," he replied. "I got busted up pretty bad and never saw that guard again." Sully shuddered, wondering what could've happened to him. "I got my own back when the warden decided to room me with Alcazar," Sam said, "He probably didn't see that coming." A few seconds passed. "You know," said Sully, "Come to think of it, I actually dealt with Alcazar a few decades ago. Even before I met you two." "No kidding?" Sam asked with a huff, "How are you still alive?" "Well," Sully replied, "He wasn't quite where he's at today. He was still working his way up the criminal ladder then…I sold his boss a few woodcut prints I'd smuggled out of Japan. He was into shoguns and such. Alcazar was the go-between." "What was he like?" Sam asked. "Well soft spoken but intense. Like he could explode at the slightest provocation." Sam chuckled, "Well then he hasn't changed much since then…" he said. "I got my money and got out of there!" Sully said. Nathan chuckled, and they got on the road that led up the volcano.

About an hour-and-a-half later, they reached another tower. This tower was different from the rest. It was much smaller, and looked more like a monument or large gravestone than a watchtower. This particular tower overlooked the most breathtaking vista of them all. You could see way down to King's Bay. The red plain spread out in front of them like a vast blanket, and you could see from the volcano all the way down to the bottom. "Look," said Sully, "There's the town." "And there's the river valley," Sam said. They each admired the view. Sully went off to the monument itself and Sam and Nathan still just stood there. "Quite the view." Nathan said. Sam sighed and said, "Yeah I'm just waiting to wake up in solitary. Like this whole thing is a dream." "Sam…" Nathan said. "Oh no, no, no," Sam said, "No guilt trip I just…Let's just find this thing." Nathan looked the tower over one more time. Looking closer, he saw that it wasn't a monument at all. It was a signal tower. There was a small lamp inside it, like a miniature lighthouse. He walked over to the other side of the signal tower to see Sully looking down off the cliff. "So," Nathan said walking up to Sully, "How're you doing?" Sully chuckled, "Eh, still in one piece." He said. Nathan nodded, "I appreciate you coming along for the ride," Nathan said, and especially for negotiating with that rental guy." Sully chuckled again, "Well no problem. Hey, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying myself." "Me too," Nathan said. As he said those words, he inexplicably thought of Elena. Had he really made the right choice in not telling her? What if she found out? He sighed to himself. It was too late to undo his action. Besides, he wanted to keep her safe. He didn't want to see her wounded again. He thought of the time when Elena had almost died after a grenade exploded dangerously close to her when they had been in the Himalayas. He didn't want to go through that again. No, he decided, keeping her in the dark was the best option. After all, she didn't need to know. Well, nothing else to see at this tower. They each hopped in the jeep and began driving to the next tower. It didn't take long for them to reach it, and just by a quick glance, they could tell this particular tower was quite different. The tower was a small part of the actual structure. The main building, which was attached to the tower, was quite large, and strangest of all, there was a large ravine in front of the tower. The building had a wooden drawbridge to span the ravine. They first made sure there were no Shoreline mercenaries at the site. Fortunately, there weren't any. They stared at the building for a long time. "What do you make of the drawbridge Nathan?" Sam asked. "A little out of place," Nathan replied. That much was true. None of the other towers they had seen had anything like a drawbridge. Sam and Nathan both got out. "Well you don't put up a drawbridge unless you're trying to protect something…" Nathan said. Sam gave Nathan an understanding look. Nathan doubted the treasure was in this tower, but the drawbridge was tantalizing. Nathan looked at the ravine. It was over fifty feet deep, and dropped down the volcano's slope. He took out his grappling hook and threw it to a wall on the tower. It hooked. He tugged the rope to make sure it wouldn't budge. After passing the test, he swung over the ravine, and onto the wall. He jumped down to the floor, and retrieved the hook. Sam followed with his hook. He looked around. It was in slightly less ruined state than the other towers, but still a ruin nonetheless. He walked over to the tower itself. There, at the center of the floor, was yet another pirate sigil. This sigil was different from the others. It was a white winged horse on an orange background. Sam walked over. "Recognize the sigil?" Sam asked. "Yeah I do actually," Nathan replied, "That's Anne Bonny's" Sam knelt down to get a better look at it. "She operated out of the Caribbean," Nathan continued, "One of the few famous female pirates. I thought she died in prison." "At least that's what the stories tell us," Sam replied quoting Nathan, "Avery must've invited her too." They looked one last time at the sigil. Nathan did a quick sketch of it in his journal before pocketing it. He looked. The tower was right on the edge of a cliff-side, and the only way to get through was to lower the drawbridge and continue on their way. Nathan quickly climbed the tower. At the very top, was a large spoked wheel that lowered or raised the drawbridge. Nathan shouted down to Sam, "Alright, I'm going to lower the drawbridge!" Sam gave Nathan the thumbs up, and Sully called back, "Alright kid! I'll bring the jeep around." After a minute, Sully brought the jeep up to the drawbridge. "Alright kid!" he shouted up to Nathan, "Ready when you are!" Nathan began turning the wheel. He strained to move it, but the bridge did slowly begin to fall. After a bit, it fell with a thud, and Nathan jumped down from the tower, back into the jeep. They drove over the drawbridge and onto the path again. The path suddenly became a narrow ledge right next to the cliff-side. Nathan drove with extreme caution to avoid falling off the cliff edge. The narrow ledge continued until they reached a small muddy pond that was more of an oversized puddle. The slope became extremely muddy, and Nathan didn't like it. He got out of the jeep to look at the top of the slope. The slope ended, and there was a large wooden bridge that led to yet another tower. At the top of the slope was a large tree. Nathan grabbed the winch and gave Sully a grin. Sully scoffed and shook his head. Nathan began pulling the winch up to the tree. "So just how much do you owe Alcazar?" Sully asked Sam. "Uh…half." Sam replied. "Half of what?" Sully asked. "Well," Sam said, "He only knows about the Gunsway heist." "Which is worth four hundred million!" Sully interrupted. "Right," Sam continued, "But if Nathan's theory is correct then there's a lot more treasure at play." Sully huffed, "Well you should've told him it was only worth two hundred thousand," he said, "You never tell your partner how much a job is worth." "Yeah well I wasn't expecting to be partners with him…" Sam said. "Guys!" Nathan broke in, "Look, relax! We're going to get the treasure, pay off that lunatic and still have plenty to spare!" He walked up, wrapped the cable around the tree, and got in. "Don't spin out now," said Sully, "The cliff edge is right there." Nathan knew it all too well. If he spun out, the car would fall off the cliff, and he wasn't sure if the cable would hold them or not. He began pressing the gas. The jeep strained to climb the muddy embankment, but with minimal traction, they weren't making very much headway. Nathan made doubly sure he had control over the vehicle. They soon began to advance ever so slightly. Then the worst happened. The tires hit a rock, and the steering wheel jerked to the right. The jeep slipped and swung in an arc right off the cliff! With a crash, they dangled there, hanging vertically bumper-first, the jeep parallel to the cliff-side. Clutching their seats to avoid falling to their deaths, Sam, Sully and Nathan all yelled in terror, until the jeep stopped swinging. Nathan thrust the cable button forward and the jeep slowly reeled in the cable. "Don't panic!" Nathan shouted, "Don't panic!" "I am very much panicking here!" Sully yelled. "The cable's going to snap!" Sam said with terror, "Nate?!" Nathan didn't reply. His years of adventuring had taught him to keep a cool head no matter what! Suddenly a large rock fell from the cliff and slammed into the jeep's bumper. The winch unraveled and they fell fifteen more feet before the cable length ran out and they jerked to a halt. Nathan was thrown from his seat! He would've fallen to his death, if Sam hadn't caught him. "Nathan!" Sam shouted. He grabbed Nathan's hand. Nathan hung there, dangling hundreds of feet off the ground. "Hold on tight kid!" Sully shouted. Sam swung Nathan over, and Nathan grabbed the back bumper. "Sully, reel in the cable!" Nathan called. Sully tried reaching, but it was too far. He couldn't get into the driver's seat without risking falling off the jeep. Nathan climbed up the vertical jeep, before hopping into the driver's seat. The winch was making incredibly unsettling groans and creaks. "You OK?" Sully asked. "I've been better," Nathan replied. "Get us out of this kid!" Sully said. Nathan activated the winch and they slowly began to climb up the cliff side. He pressed the gas, and the tires drove straight up. The winch kept creaking and it was driving Nathan crazy. With one last groan, they made it to the edge of the cliff, and finally went back horizontal. After catching their breath, Nathan said, "Ah…Well that was fun right?" Neither of the men replied, they just sat there breathless. "Come on you guys are overreacting," Nathan said, "I had the whole thing under control…" They drove across the wooden bridge and made it to what Nathan hoped was the last tower. He was sick of this place! By far, this tower was the largest. There was a large stone staircase leading up to the top, and two ornamental pillars on either side of the entrance. In the center was the tower. The entrance to the tower was a large wooden door. The door was still relatively sturdy, but not made of fresh wood at all. Nathan called Sam over, and they shouldered the door once…twice…A final shove, and the door swung open. This entrance was very different. Though this entrance was attached to the tower, it didn't lead into the tower. It led underground. Almost like a crypt or dungeon. Nathan looked at Sam, who looked excited. They both entered. There was a small hallway that led to a room, about this size of a normal living room in somebody's home. The floor was made of large clay bricks and the walls were also made of clay bricks. There were aging wooden shelves in the room, infested with cobwebs. There were old wooden crates, and pottery, with a large table in the center of the room that almost looked like a stone coffin. As he wandered around the room, he noticed something odd. Behind one of the shelves, there was a wooden beam. The beam wasn't a part of the shelf at all. Nathan pushed the shelf out of the way, and it revealed a doorway. However, the room behind the doorway was bricked over. No way to enter. "It's covered up," Sam said, "What now?" Nathan looked around the room. There was a small keg of gunpowder sitting in a corner. Nathan picked it up, "Hey! Hey! Careful with that kid!" Sully said, "That thing could blow up!" "Precisely." Nathan replied. He put the keg up to the bricks, retreated to the far end of the room, and took out his pistol. "Heads up!" he shouted, before shooting the keg. With a boom, the bricks blew up. "Ah…my ears!" Sam said. "I said heads up!" Nathan replied. Nathan walked into the room, which turned out to be a hallway. There were two sets of wooden stairs leading up to another room. This room was the main center room of the tower itself. There was another large door blocking it, though Nathan had no trouble opening it. The room almost made Nathan want to stop and admire it. There were pillars supporting the ceiling, with decorative arches spanning the pillars. There were tables and chairs, with iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The most notable feature however, was the center of the room. There was a large hole in the center of the room, and a spiral staircase that slowly descended downwards. Sam began running down "Come on!" he called back. "Well he's pretty eager…" Sully said. "Well he's got a lot more in this." Nathan replied. The spiral staircase entered another small room, which opened up to a magnificent hallway. There were torches beside the wall, and passing under an arch, Nathan saw the skull and crossbones of Henry Avery's sigil. At the end of the hallway, he had to squeeze through a parting in the brick wall. When he did, the room took his breath away. It was a gigantic room that looked like a temple. There was a tall domed ceiling that had several holes in it, letting sunlight pour inside. The walls were made of white limestone, and there were pillars made of marble. There was a second level of the room that couldn't be accessed. The staircase must've rotted out. At the top of the ceiling dome was a gigantic iron chandelier. Nathan chuckled as he looked at it. After escaping that sinking ship looking for Iram of the Pillars, he never wanted to see a chandelier again! Nathan stared up. The pillars and wall had ornate decorations and designs, almost all of them pirate related. "Hey fellas!" Sam called over, "Look over here!" Nathan and Sully made their way over to Sam, who was at the very back of the room. When they did, they immediately noticed what Sam had. There was a gigantic stone sculpture of St. Dismas on the wall. Next to St. Dismas were symbols and sigils carved out of the wall. There was what looked like a book on one end, and a crown on the other. "What've we got here?" Sully asked. "More sigils," Nathan replied. He looked them over. "There's our boy Avery," Nathan said pointing to his sigil, "And there's Thomas Tew, Christopher Condent…Anne Bonny…" There were a few other sigils as well that Nathan didn't recognize. Sam filled him in, "That's Adam Baldridge, Joseph Farrell and there's Richard Want." Nathan stood there. "huh…" he said, "Pirate captains." "Alright," Sam said, "So maybe your pirate pool theory wasn't so ridiculous after all." Nathan chuckled and they looked over the sculpture. "Alright…so…" Nathan said, "What do you think the trick is here? Do we have to push a button? Pull something?" He walked up to the statue, along with Sam, and they began feeling all over the statue, looking for a way to figure out what it was hiding. "I'll try pulling one of the arms," Sam said. Nathan tried knocking the ribs, the legs, but nothing was happening. "Uh boys," Sully said. Sully had been standing back this entire time, "When you're done fondling poor St. Dismas I think you might want to come and take a look at this." Nathan and Sam stepped back. "The book is obviously the volcano," Sully said, "The crown, that's King's Bay. We got ourselves a map gentlemen." Nathan now understood. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was a topographical map in front of them! The sigil's lined up with each tower they had been to. Anne Bonny's sigil lined up with where her tower was, Christopher Condent's with his and so on. However, the tower they were inside now, the biggest one, lined up with none other than Henry Avery's sigil. "Victor, you're a genius." Sam said. "You hear that Nate?" Sully asked, "Genius." Nathan held up his hand, "Yeah, yeah," he said. Nathan looked over the map. "OK," said Sam, "So the other sigils on the map must've been the towers that were around during Avery's time." Sam looked at Sully, "Well I mean the treasure's got to be in one of them right?" Sully huffed, "Yeah but which one?" he said, "I count twelve towers." Sam suddenly looked at Sully with a look of concern on his face. He was stooped over on the ground. "Hey, uh Victor?" he asked. Sully turned around, "Yeah?" "You didn't happen to start smoking cigarettes did you?" Sam got up, holding a cigarette. It was still smoking. "Looks like we're not the first ones down here." Sully said. "Fire in the hole!" Somebody shouted from high above. Suddenly there was a massive explosion, and the domed ceiling came crashing down to the ground. "We got the drop on 'em!" shouted a mercenary. "It's an ambush!" Sam yelled. Suddenly. Nathan saw mercenaries coming into the room. They were sending in armored troops! There were five of them, all lined up, covered head to toe with bulletproof clothing. He saw Sully grab something out of his pocket. He yanked something, and threw it towards the mercenaries. It was a grenade. Suddenly the grenade exploded, and the armored men went flying. Almost none got up. The armored men gone, Nathan made a dash for the door, but several mercenaries blocked their way. Sully and Sam engaged them, while Nathan ran over to one of the mercenary's carcasses. He grabbed a shotgun off of one, and took cover behind a wooden wall. He saw something fly above his head and land next to him. It was another grenade. He launched himself away from it, and it exploded. He was a far enough away, though the shockwave still stunned him for an instant. He saw several more mercenaries rappel down from the hole in the ceiling. He shot at them while they were still suspended. One of them shot, and Nathan hid. He peeked out to shoot, but realized with horror his gun was out of ammo. He threw it to the side and rushed over to another mercenary's body. The mercenary had a pistol on him. Nathan grabbed it and returned fire. He saw Sully throw another grenade. This time he hit several mercenaries. After the grenade, all fell silent. "Was that all of 'em?!" Nathan called over to Sully. "Yeah," Sully replied, "I think so. You OK Sam?" "Yeah, over here!" Sam replied. Nathan and Sully walked over to Sam. He was rooting through the body of the leading mercenary. "What are you doing?" Nathan asked. "Just confirming a suspicion," Sam said back. "Ah no…" he said pulling out a piece of paper, "Look at this…" Nathan took the paper. Unfolding it, he sighed. The paper was a detailed map of King's Bay. They had marked down the locations for all the towers on the map. "They figured out the towers too," Sam said, "Locations, sigils, the works." "So now what?" Sully asked. "Now what?" Sam repeated, "Now we're screwed! Because there's three of us and God knows how many of them, and they have a head-start." Nathan suddenly had a brain wave. "Yeah, but they don't know what tower to go to," Nathan said, "That's great Nathan," said Sam, "but neither do we!" "Yes we do." Said Nathan with a chuckle. Nathan held out the bronze coin that had got in Scotland. "Here, take a look," he said, "it's a little worn down…" he held the coin up to one of the sigils. While the one side of the coin had a volcano, the other side had the scales of justice. One of the sigils on the map were the scales of justice. Sam nodded, "Are you sure?" Sam asked, "Because it could be this one too…" he pointed to another sigil that looked like a trident. Nathan flipped the coin upside down. It matched the trident's shape almost perfectly. "Crap…" Nathan said. "Well still," Sully said consoling, "Two sure beats the heck out of twelve!" They stood there for a moment, before Sam said, "Alright, now I'm going to take this tower, you and Victor, you take this one." Nathan shook his head, "Oh no, no, no, no. Rafe's guys are all over these towers by now." "Exactly," said Sam, "So if we are going to have any chance to catch up to them, we'll have to split up." Sam began to walk out, "Sam," Nathan called back, "Just hang on a second will ya?" Sully held his hand up, "Nate," he said, "He's right. Look, these towers are on opposite ends of the King's Bay town," Sam walked back over, "Well?" he asked.

Outside the tower, Sam got inside their jeep. There were two Shoreline jeeps parked on that end of the tower. "Now if you see any of those Shoreline clowns you call us OK?" Nathan said. "Sure thing." Sam replied, "See you soon." With that, he drove off, Nathan looking in his direction, worried. "Come on kid," Sully said patting him on the shoulder, "We gotta hurry." Sully began walking to one of the Shoreline jeeps. Nathan stood there for a few seconds, before going to join Sully.


	8. Chapter 8: Hidden in Plain Sight

Chapter 8

Hidden in Plain Sight

Standing in the middle of King's Bay was the tower they were looking for. Nathan parked the jeep close to it, and got out, Sully with him. "Alright," said Nathan, "There's our tower." King's Bay was a large town, with a busy marketplace, and building packed tightly together. It was in slightly better shape than many other third world countries, though it certainly wasn't the cleanest city. The buildings had clay shingles, and there were people crowding the streets, riding motorized scooters or other small vehicles. There were power lines in disrepair lining the streets, with lemurs crossing them. Nathan and Sully were both in the marketplace, the busiest part of the city. "You really think all the treasure's just going to be sitting in the middle of a blasted market?" "Ah yeah," said Nathan, "That'd be crazy." Sully scoffed. "But we have seen crazy before," Nathan said. Sully chuckled, "That we have," he said. Nathan looked around the bricked parking area. There were several people crowded around a white jalopy, trying to fix the steaming engine. There was a withering paper sign plastered over one of the brick buildings. It proclaimed, "Welcome to Madagascar! It's incredible!" Nathan chuckled. He began descending the steps down into the marketplace. There were at least sixteen people all crowded around a booth looking at the exotic spices the merchant was selling. Nathan entered an open building next to the market. It was an office for the International Passport Bureau. Nothing to see, he exited. There was a wagon on a side street being drawn by a pair of oxen. Nathan walked over to wait for Sully. He patted one of them on the head. "Hey pal," he said, "Happen to see any pirate treasure around here?" Sully walked over and saw Nathan, "Hey, Nate!" he called. "Sorry," he said to the ox, "He's so impatient." He walked back over to Sully. As he walked, Sully bumped right into a young woman in a white dress. When he did, all of her items fell to the ground. "Oh I am so sorry!" Sully said. "Here, let me help you." Sully and the woman began picking up the items. They finished picking everything up. "My mistake," Sully said. The woman thanked him before she walked off. Sully turned his head to Nathan, "Did you see the way she looked at me?" he said. Nathan rolled his eyes and Sully adjusted his grey moustache. "You are delusional…" Nathan said. They continued making their way towards the tower. Nathan passed a maintenance worker painting one of the buildings. The further they went into the marketplace, the busier everything got. Salesmen and saleswomen selling their products, chanting prices and item names. There were stalls hanging with curtains and awnings, there were fabrics, incense, spices, food items, souvenirs, clothes. Nathan was nearly overwhelmed by all of it. He looked over everything, and suddenly, a woman got in his way. "Apples!" she said, "Fresh apples! Best apples in the market!" Nathan shook his head and held out his hand, "Thank you, not interested." He tried to move on, but the woman persisted, "Sir, you may find better apples here, but you won't find better! Please, buy one!" Nathan sighed, "Alright," he took the apple and paid for it. "Thank you very much sir," she said, "enjoy your apple, and tell your friends!" Nathan began walking away. "Well I don't think I'll have to," he said looking back. The woman was accosting Sully now. He took a bite out of the apple. After chewing it a bit, he nodded. This apple certainly was quite delicious. He kept on walking, passing a large booth selling sausage and other meats. The booth next to that one was selling fish. He suddenly felt something crawling over him. He tried to turn around, but suddenly the thing snatched the apple out of his hand. It was a cheeky ring tailed lemur. Nathan chuckled. The lemur simply ate the apple while perched on Nathan's arm like a parakeet. Nathan chuckled, "Hey there little guy," he said. He reached out and scratched the lemur behind the ears. "How you doing?" He began scratching the lemur on his shoulders and back. The lemur closed his eyes and purred almost like a cat. Suddenly Nathan heard Sully, "Nate." Said Sully, almost in a scolding tone. Nathan had been so preoccupied with petting the lemur he hadn't noticed Sully walk up. "Tower." Sully said pointing. "Ah Sully come on, look it's a lemur!" the lemur stared at Sully, still perched on Nathan's arm. "Come on!" Nathan said, "Come say hi!" Sully held his hand, "No. I'm good." Nathan shook his head and put the lemur back on the ground. He began walking off when suddenly the lemur crawled right back up Nathan's back. "Hey Sully!" he said, "Look who's back!" "Rabies, Nate," Sully replied. After a bit, he got the lemur back on the ground. Sully and Nathan resumed their trip. "Hey you know what," Nathan said, "after all this is over and done with, I'm getting a dog." "Hey," Sully replied, "If we get out of this all in one piece I'll buy you the dog!" "Mind if I name it Victor?" Nathan asked. Sully chuckled, "Sure." Sully detoured off to a booth that was selling colorful shirts. "Hey Nate," he said holding up a bright scarlet button up shirt, "Mind if I buy one of these?" Nathan laughed, "Sully you'd gotta be crazy to wear one of those!" Sully chuckled, "Ha. Crazy handsome!" Nathan rolled his eyes once again. They walked up to an upper level of the market. This area was filled with food items cooking. "Oh man," Sully said, "Something smells good…" Nathan agreed completely. There were birds roasting, nuts in boxes, fish, meat, fruits, and other foodstuffs. At the end of the area was a booth selling hand carved wooden toys. Then, Nathan suddenly realized that the tower was right in front of them. He huffed. "Well shopping time's over," he said to himself. He tried the door. Locked, of course. He looked around. At the side of the building, there was an unlocked window. He made sure nobody saw him, and then he and Sully slipped through the window into the tower. The inside of the tower was twice the size of Avery's tower next to the volcano. It was in near perfect condition, and there were bronze statues of the saints on the wall, with marble arches on the ceiling. The wall was painted a deep maroon, and there were gold chandeliers hanging from the top of the tower. "Wow," said Sully, "This is in much better condition than any of the other towers," "Well it's in the middle of the city," said Nathan. There, in the main center room of the tower, was a large circular depression in the floor. In the middle of the circle were a pair of scales. The scales of justice, also the sigil of pirate captain Edward England. "So what are we looking for?" Sully asked, "Good question," Nate replied. There was a strange statue right above a large doorway that led to a pair of stairs that climbed up. It looked like a faceless wraith. Its robes looked like the cloak of an executioner, and it had both his hands out, ready to grab somebody's soul. Things like that usually didn't bother Nathan, but that particular statue put a chill up his spine. He entered the doorway and walked up the stairs. There was a large metal doorway with serpents slithering across it, looking like Chinese dragons. When he did, he entered a gigantic room. "Whoa…" he said as he entered. The room was over one hundred feet high, and it was a huge clock tower. Oversized clock mechanisms loomed above him. There were enormous gears that weighed more than a ton, and wooden scaffolding to reach and repair all of the mechanics. However, in the center of the tower, there was something quite different. There was yet another strange circular depression in the floor. However, there was a small four foot high stone post with a small, golden hole in it. Nathan took the bronze coin out of his pocket, "Now what do you bet…" he said to himself. He flipped the coin in his hand, and then pressed it into the perfectly fitting hole. The post fell downwards, and then the circular depression began to turn into a spiraling staircase, very similar to the staircase in Avery's tower near the volcano. Nathan and Sully looked down. "This has got to be the place!" Nathan said excitedly, "Call Sam!" Sully tried dialing Sam's number, but it went to voicemail. "Not the best coverage in this city," Sully said. "Well no reason to wait," Nathan said, "Come on, let's see what Avery has in store for us." Nathan took the coin off of the post, and they began walking down the stairs. "Fingers crossed for piles of gold and jewels," Sully said. Nathan wasn't quite sure what they would find down here. Suddenly, Sully's phone buzzed. He answered, "Sam! Finally! You OK?" Nathan could just hear Sam reply, "Yeah, I just searched my tower, I found nothing." "Yeah well," Sully said, "We're definitely in the right place. Make your way over here. It's the marketplace tower." "Are you serious?" Sam said excited, "OK, I'm on my way!" Sully hung up, "He's coming," Sully said. The staircase had become a dark hallway. There were ancient torches still lit on the wall. The walls were ornately accented, and whitewashed. The hallway then gently spiraled downwards, the staircase continuing downwards. After a while, they reached a doorway. The doorway was decorated exactly the same as the first, with serpents slithering across the bronze door. However, right above the doorway, was something the other door lacked. A golden sideways skull and crossbones: Avery's sigil. Nathan pushed the door, and when he did, the room immediately took him back. The room itself was hauntingly dim, and not very big. There were four statues right in front: Henry Avery and Thomas Tew, partners in crime. However, beside those statues were another pair of far more disturbing figures. They were positioned exactly the same as the wraith that had been further up, however, instead of having a faceless hood, the hoods were down, revealing bare skulls. Their hands were still outstretched, greedy and malicious, with skeletal fingers frozen in time. In the middle of the room was a large circular stone table that was raised right out of the ground. Written on the table was the word, "Founders," and below that were pirate sigils. At the very top were Henry Avery and Thomas Tew's sigils. Below their sigils were the sigils of Christopher Condent, Anne Bonney, and Adam Baldridge. After looking it over, Nathan and Sully both walked into the next room. "Well look at this!" Nathan said, "It's them!" Inside this room, which was the same size as the last, were three painted portraits. One of Christopher Condent, one of Anne Bonny, and one of Adam Baldridge. "It's like a museum down here," Sully said. Nathan looked at the portraits. Anne Bonny was dressed in black, with a pair of pistols at her side, with a head of flaming red hair. The portrait of Christopher Condent was much more pirate-like. He was leaning on a cutlass, laying on a bed. He had a head wrapped in a cloth, with scowling eyes and mouth. He had an unruly beard and head of hair. The most notable feature was his fake left hand. It was made of metal. Adam Baldridge was probably the wealthiest looking pirate. He was wearing striking red clothes, with a gigantic curly wig. There were two ships in the background and he was holding a raised glass of red wine. His hat was wide, and there was a large ostrich feather stuck in it. "Hey Sully," Nathan said, "Take a look at his moustache!" Sully huffed. Baldridge had an impeccable handlebar moustache, "It's almost as impressive as yours," Nathan said. Sully shrugged, "Meh. It's alright…" They looked and saw yet another room, filled with three more pirate portraits. The next set began with a man named William Mayes. He operated out of Rhode Island, just like Thomas Tew. Nathan saw their sigils. Unfortunately, the sigils were mixed up, not painted onto their portraits. Nathan wanted to know who was who. "Hey Sully," Nathan said, "let me see your phone. I need to ask Sam who these sigils belong to." Sully handed Nathan his phone and Nathan snapped a picture, and then texted it to Sam. After a moment Sam ringed. "Hey," Nathan said, "You still in the tower?" "Yeah," Sam replied, "Just climbed back down. What's with the picture you just sent?" "I'll fill you in later," Nathan said, "For now, I just need to know who's who." "Well," Sam said, "The dolphins are Richard Want, the trident is Joseph Farrell, and the two hands with the pearl is William Mayes." "Alright, great," said Nathan, "Just stay where there's good reception, I might need your help again." "Wait Nathan did you find the treasure?" Sam asked. "No, not yet," Nathan replied, "But I got some clues to figure out. I'll keep you posted. Be careful." With that, Sam and Nathan hung up, and they kept looking. The portrait of Richard Want was especially interesting. He was wearing a heavy black coat, with a thick black wig, and smoking a long black pipe. "Books, globes, this guy looks like a scholar," Sully observed. "Yeah, Want was the captain of the Dolphin." Sully huffed, "Yeah," he said, "Looks like he and Baldridge were having a 'best wigs' contest." They walked over to the portrait of Joseph Farrell. He looked like he was extremely irritated. He had a swashbuckling look to him, a classic pirate look. After looking at everything, they reached the next room, which was far different. This room was the same size, but there were no portraits, something far different. There was a large golden table shaped like a huge drum. There was a glistening brass star in the center of a compass, and the edges of the table were ornately decorated, with three silver medallions at each end of the table. "What is this?" Sully asked. "Not sure yet…" Nathan replied. "Maybe send it to Sam?" Sully suggested. Nathan rolled his eyes and took a picture of each of the medallions. When he looked closer, he realized that the medallions were pictures of islands. He got in a better position with more torchlight, then he snapped the photo. "Alright," Nathan said, "Let's see what he makes of them." Nathan walked over to one of the silver maps. They were small, about six inches across. Nathan looked closely, each of the maps had raised details. Curious, he took out his notebook and ripped out three pages. He quickly rubbed his pencil over the paper, and the details of the map came into focus. "What are you doing?" Sully asked. "Hold on," Nathan replied. He walked over to the next map, and scratched it into the next sheet, then did it to the third one. "You just took pictures," Sully said. Nathan finished scratching the third one, "Well Avery's recruits wouldn't've had smartphones obviously…So this would've been the only way for them to get to the next clue. He took the papers, and put them in front of each other, then he put it into the light of the torch. The torchlight illuminated Avery's insignia, right on a group of islands. "Well it would look like we're packing our bags again kid." Sully said. Nathan smiled, then noticed something written on Avery's insignia, which said, "For God and Liberty." Nathan was shocked. "Oh…No, no, no it can't be!" he said, "Can't be what?" Sully asked. "It's so obvious! Why didn't I see this before!?" Nathan continued. Sully, frustrated, said, "Enough with the suspense, what in the world are you talking about?" Nathan's phone buzzed and he quickly answered it, "Sam!" he said, "Did you get the photos?" There wasn't a reply that came at once. Then, there was a laugh. The laugh certainly wasn't Sam's. "Here I am, calling what I thought was Sullivan's phone, and look who picks up! How you been Nate?" "Hey Rafe," Nathan replied. Sully's eyes widened, "What?" he mouthed. "Not too bad," Nathan said, "How'd you get this number? Did Sullivan leave it on a cocktail napkin?" Rafe laughed, "I wish," he said, "No, no, I had to pay top dollar to find you guys." "Yeah," said Nathan as they began to leave the room, "Well I hope you didn't spend too much money on this whole Avery thing. I hear the competition's fierce." "Yeah you pulled off some clever moves there," Rafe said, "But in the end all that matters is who gets to Avery's treasure first." Nathan laughed, "Well that sounds like a bet," he said. He heard Rafe laugh on the other end, "Hey Nate, you know I'm always game but my partner…well she prefers to…mitigate unnecessary risks." Sully opened to door to leave the pirate chamber, and head back to the main tower, "Wow," he said, "Rafe Adler taking orders from somebody else. Oh, how times have changed." "Look Nate," Rafe said, "I'm going to make you a one-time offer here. You drop everything. Go home…Live your life…and I'm willing to forgive and forget. For old time's sake." Nathan began walking back up the spiral staircase, "Well as tempting as that sounds Rafe," he said, "I'm usually not the kind of guy who likes to quit while he's ahead…" "OK," Rafe said, "For God and liberty…" Nathan halted, "These are nice pictures Nate," Rafe said, "Good composition." Nathan paused, "You hacked our phones," he said. "You stole my cross!" Rafe fired back, "Listen Nate, if you're half as smart as you think you are, you'll accept my offer. What's it gonna be?" Nathan saw Sam was trying to call, "Well look," Nathan said, "As nice as it's been to catch up with you I really have to take this call so…" he hung up. He began to hasten up the steps, "Let me guess," Sully said, "Goons with guns on their way here now…" Nathan answered Sam's call, "Sam!" he said, "For God and liberty," Sam said, "Nathan do you understand what this means?" "Sam," Nathan said, "Listen to me. Get off the streets right now! And destroy your phone, Rafe knows where we are! You gotta find some place to hide!" Suddenly, Nathan heard gunshots, "Sam?" Nathan yelled frantically, "Sam!?" No answer. The call ended. He took the phone, threw it on the ground and stomped it to pieces. "Hey!" Sully said. Nathan huffed, "I'll buy you a new one," he said, "Look, our phones have GPS, and if Rafe's hacked them, then all he would have to do is track us with it." Sully nodded, and they began making their way out of the tower. They unbarred the door and there were several people with quizzical looks on their faces, before they went back to either buying or selling. Nathan walked over to a railing. The tower was at the highest point in King's Bay, and there was a lookout area where you could see over nearly the entire city. He looked around, and saw it, "Look," Nathan said pointing downwards, "There's Sam's tower." Sully nodded, "Alright, let's get back to the jeep," he said. They began running through the crowd, pushing their way back to the jeep, "How long do you think we have before Rafe gets here?" Nathan asked, "Let's not stick around to find out…" Sully replied. Sully went down a staircase, but Nathan was held up by a salesman, this time, he had to force his way through. Sully beckoned from the bottom of the staircase, "Down here Nate," he said. Suddenly he heard three gunshots. Everybody in the market dispersed, and Nathan and Sully took cover. Hiding behind a pallet of stacked sugar sacks, Nathan saw three Shoreline mercenaries coming at them, with more on the way. He shot one of them down, and saw Sully make a dash for it. The mercenaries were armed with AK's, but Nathan only had a pistol, and not much ammo. Nathan tossed a grenade over to the remaining mercenaries. It exploded. "Good work Nate!" Sully called. Nathan ran over to the men's bodies and grabbed an AK and ammo. They tried rushing over to the jeep, but suddenly an enormous armored vehicle crashed through the market, and began shooting at them from its hood mounted machine gun. Nathan slid and used a line of sacked goods to hide behind. There was a man on the roof of the van shooting the gun. Nathan saw three mercenaries climb out of the van, and start shooting. Nathan and Sully hid inside a fishmonger booth. The stairs that led up to the lot, and the jeep, were just beside the booth. Nathan and Sully made a break for it, bullets from the van's gun whistling past them. They bolted, before Nathan vaulted into the jeep, Sully beside him. "You good?" Nathan asked, "Great," Sully replied, "Floor it!" Nathan shoved his foot into the gas pedal, before the jeep began screeching forward, smoke hovering above the screech marks on the pavement. Nathan swerved onto a side street, "Alright," Nathan said, "How do we get to Sam?" "Just keep heading downhill," Sully replied. Nathan followed his advice, staying on an extremely narrow side-street that ran just along the edge of the cliff. He gassed it, and suddenly saw three Shoreline mercenaries blocking the path. With nothing but the three men, Nathan revved the engine. The three men jumped out of the way. Nathan skidded down a hairpin turn, and blasted his way back into downtown King's Bay, parallel to the market, but just below it. There were people on the streets. Nathan punched the horn, blaring his way, and avoiding the people. "Don't hit anyone!" Sully shouted. Suddenly the armored truck burst onto the street from an alleyway. "It's that blasted truck again!" Sully yelled. The truck drove ahead of them, raining bullets down on them. Nathan winced, and he saw an alleyway. He threw the steering wheel to the side, and cut down somebody's yard. He smashed through the garden, willing to make any reparations, as long as he could get away from the armored Shoreline truck! The yard ended, and he drove down the hillside, off-road. He ran into somebody's clothesline. "Hey that was clean laundry!" Sully said, "They can wash it again!" Nathan retorted. They exploded back onto the road, and like a plague, the armored truck was right in front of them. He was forced down into the lower marketplace. This marketplace was at the complete opposite side of town than the one Sully and Nathan had been inside. He went under the archway, "Where on earth are you going?!" shouted Sully. Nathan entered the marketplace, which was nearly deserted, everybody running away from the shooting truck. He smashed through stalls and carts, goods flying everywhere. "You're the one who just said head down!" Nathan said back. People were scattered, running like a flock of birds scared witless. The market street continued, Nathan obliterating even more stalls, "Well this was a splendid idea Nate," Sully said, "Do you want to drive!?" Nathan shouted, frustrated. Suddenly the market street ended, and they blew out of the alleyway at the very center of King's Bay, a large roundabout with the town center on one end, and a large statue of the town's founder at the center of the roundabout. The street was horribly congested, with people everywhere. Nathan screeched around, desperately trying to dodge each vehicle. Suddenly, who should arrive but Shoreline's truck. It erupted onto the street like a nuclear bomb, shooting mindlessly in Nathan's direction. Nathan swerved off the roundabout, machine gun bullets pinging off the sides of the jeep, putting holes in the metal. He was on the street that led down to Sam's tower. Suddenly all the traffic heading down that street. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Sully shouted. Nathan bumped into a bus that had stopped. Construction workers had abandoned the unfinished road, and panicked drivers had taken it. Nathan steered to right, to a dirty alley. The road ended. He reversed back up the alley, turned, and burst back onto the roundabout, the truck waiting, and shooting maniacally. "What now?!" Nathan yelled, "Up those stairs!" Sully shouted back. Nathan saw them, a pair of stairs that he could use as a ramp to get off the roundabout. He revved the engine, and hit the steps. He got several seconds of air time before slamming back onto the ground. They were now off the road, heading down a grassy hill. "Man Rafe really wants us out of the picture," said Nathan. Sully huffed, "Gee you think?" They saw the main road, and after jumping off the retaining wall, they hit the asphalt again. Nathan laughed. "I think we lost 'em. Don't want to jinx myself though…" "Hey Nate," said Sully, "We can never, ever come back to this city." "Add it to the list," Nathan replied. The main road began twisting and turning on its way down the mountainside. Suddenly the came to another construction site, this time with workers. "What!?" Nathan shouted, "Hey," said Sully, "You got a 4x4, go around!" Nathan drove around the construction site, running over several orange cones, "Sorry fellas!" Sully yelled, "First time driver here!" They left the site in the dust, "Ha!" said Nathan, "Let's see that truck get past that!" As if on cue, the truck exploded out of a side-street. "Cut right! Go right!" Sully shouted. Nathan thrust the steering wheel right, and they entered another unpaved area, before the area dropped off into a cliff. Nathan slammed onto the rooftops of some houses, before hitting the asphalt again. They saw the tower just ahead, "We're close!" Nathan shouted, "Keep an eye out for Sam!" They stopped the jeep, and saw what looked like a huge convoy running across the highway. "Hey!" Nathan yelled, "I think that's him!" Sam was riding an orange motorcycle, and there were three Shoreline mercenaries tailing him, two on motorcycles of their own, and one in a military jeep. Nathan couldn't get to the main road, but he could get onto the river valley, which ran right next to the road. The main river was about a half mile away, and Sam would be driving above it on the road. He floored it, "Hang on!" Nathan yelled, "What do you think I've been doing?!" Sully replied. Nathan entered the muddy area next to the river. The main road was right above them, but he couldn't quite get to it. He kept driving next to the road, before driving up the hill. Suddenly, he saw the river right in front of him, "We're running out of road kid," Sully said. Nathan kept driving. The river got closer and closer. Next he was driving across a dock that led out across the water. "Nate!" Sully shouted. Nathan saw one of the trucks had a large crane-like winch attached to it, "Here!" Nathan shouted, "Take the wheel!" The dock was about to stop, and Nathan grabbed his grappling hook, "What!?" Sully yelled, "Are you out of your blasted mind!?" "Yeah, probably," said Nathan, and he swung the hook. The jeep screeched to a halt just before the end of the dock, and Nathan swung suspended in midair from the crane winch on the Shoreline vehicle, just above the river. The bridge beside Nathan was filled with Shoreline goons, and he could hear their gunshots even while suspended. Suddenly he saw a decaying wooden structure that looked like scaffolding He was heading right for it, and he couldn't dodge. He braced himself, and he slammed into it. His tight grip of the hook loosed, and the rope slid through his hands. He grabbed it just before the rope ran out, but he had let go far too much. Half of his body was skimming across the water like a skipping stone. He struggled to climb up the rope with all his might. He began climbing up the rope, and suddenly he saw a tugboat coming through the water. He lurched his way up the rope, and pulled his legs up to his chest. The boat passed, and suddenly he saw the shoreline. The convoy had left the highway, and was driving through the muddy banks. Nathan braced, and he slammed into the mud. Suddenly he was being dragged like a ragdoll. He heard a mercenary from behind yell, "Hey! He's dragging from that truck!" They began shooting at him. Nathan yelled in frustration, and reeled in the rope. He tried to stand up, slipping across the mud as if he was waterskiing barefoot. He jumped off the ground, and climbed up off the ground. He turned around, holding the rope with one hand, and holding a pistol in the other. He aimed for the mercenary, who was in a jeep. He shot at the mercenary, then saw that the truck's engine was steaming, he shot the engine repeatedly, and suddenly the jeep exploded, throwing the mercenary up into the air. He turned around and climbed into the back of the truck with the winched crane. There was a mercenary that held up a pistol at Nathan. Nathan reacted lightning fast, and throwing himself into the back of the truck, he smacked him across the head with the butt of his pistol. "Don't shoot at me!" he yelled, before throwing the mercenary out of the truck. Suddenly, he saw two mercenaries drive up behind him on a motorcycle. They started shooting, but Nathan had the better aim. He shot the mercenary's hand, and he let go of the handlebars. On such uneven terrain, the motorcycle destabilized and flipped over, sending the mercenaries flying. They left the riverbank, and started driving across dryer plains. The last huts of King's Bay blurring past. Suddenly, the engine of the truck he was on burst into flames. He had to get off. He saw a large jeep was right in front of him. He jumped onto the cab of the truck, and jumped off onto the jeep in front. As soon as he did, the truck he had been on exploded. There was a mercenary in the back of the jeep. He lunged at Nathan with the butt of his AK, but Nathan dodged and landed several vicious punches, before yanking the AK out of the mercenary's hand and finishing him off. There was a smaller jeep beside him, with mercenaries shooting at him. Nathan saw they had gas cans sitting on the side of the jeep. He shot them, and they exploded, the engine following suit. He could see Sam driving along, leaning across the handlebars of his motorcycle like a horse jockey at the Kentucky Derby. The jeep he was on now also started flaming. He looked to see a much smaller, speedier jeep beside him. He jumped onto the side. There were two mercenaries inside. He took care of the first one. When he jumped, he grabbed the first mercenaries head, and slammed it into the side of the jeep, before throwing him off. The driver of the jeep put up a fight. He jabbed Nathan in the face with his fists, but Nathan kicked him out of the jeep, before thrusting himself into the driver's side. He slammed down on the gas pedal, and the jeep began zooming forward. There were two motorcycle riders shooting at him, but Nathan ran his jeep into them before zooming back forward. There were two jeeps in front of him, both shooting. The jeep wasn't armored, and Nathan sideswiped them. One of them smashed into a rock and blew up, but the other jeep sideswiped Nathan himself. Nathan took one hand off the wheel, and shot with his AK. The driver was shot down, and Nathan kept driving. Nathan looked, and saw five motorcycle riders pour into the plain. He was catching up to Sam. He ran over one of the motorcyclists, but one of them landed on the roof of the jeep. The mercenary wasn't dazed in the least, and began crawling over to Nathan, Nathan was ready, and he smacked the butt of his AK into the man's face. The man fell to the ground. Suddenly they entered a farming outpost, and they burst into a barren field. Nathan rammed another mercenary. He was now almost right next to Sam. "Sam!" he yelled. He saw Sam shooting a mercenary, who fell to the ground. There was a wall right next to Nathan, and he let one of the mercenaries drive up, before he sandwiched the motorcycle between his jeep and the wall. Sam was right next to him. Sam looked over, "Hey brother!" he said. A rain of bullets, and they parted a bit, "Get closer!" Nathan yelled. "I'm trying!" Sam yelled back. Sam swerved back next to Nathan. "Get on!" they both said in unison. "Sam," Nathan yelled, "Get in the car! Right now!" "I'm faster, stop arguing!" Sam replied. Suddenly, Sam yelled, "Nathan stop!" He saw Sam brake, and Nathan looked to the right. All he saw was the grille of a huge truck, before his jeep flipped over upside down, and he was trapped underneath. He was disoriented for a few moments from the shock. When he came to his senses, he realized that the jeep had flipped upside down, and he was still inside, trapped. He wasn't pinned under anything, and no bones were broken. There was a spark, and suddenly the dashboard caught on fire. Nathan grunted, "I gotta get out of here…" Suddenly the flames spread to above Nathan's head. He could feel the heat wanting to grab him. He grabbed something and tried pulling himself over to the opening. Suddenly he heard voices, they were Shoreline voices. "No way he could've survived that," said a voice. "Why chance it?" said the other. Nathan got out his pistol. He kicked the door open and unloaded his clip. Both the men fell. He clambered out of the jeep. Still laying on the ground, he saw the infamous armored truck in front of him. "Are you kidding me!?" Nathan said. The truck began screeching, but didn't get a good running start on the muddy ground. He saw Sam pull up on his motorcycle. "Hop on!" he yelled Nathan jumped on the motorcycle, the truck suddenly gaining ground. Sam made for the river, and the truck followed. Nathan grabbed his AK and tried shooting the truck. It was armored, and the bullets had little impact. They drove through an open warehouse, the truck crashing behind them, gaining ground. "How're we doing back there!?" shouted Sam, "Not good! Not good at all!" Nathan said back. The truck was so close Nathan could feel the intense heat radiating from its grille. "Come on Sam!" Nathan shouted. "I'm going as fast as I can!" Sam yelled behind. Suddenly Nathan saw a tractor trailer parked in front of them, and there was nowhere to turn. "This is gonna be close!" Sam shouted. He leaned, and the motorcycle slid across the ground. The armored truck slammed into the tractor trailer and exploded, sparks and debris crashing everywhere. They slid right under the trailer, and came to a stop. Sam propped the motorcycle back upright. They breathed heavily, "You…You OK?" Sam asked, "Yeah." Nathan said with a chuckle. There were several dock workers that had all ran over to witness the spectacle. "Alright," said Sam, "Let's get out of here." With that, Sam drove the motorcycle out of the dock, the workers still not messing with them.

Outside of their motel, Sully was waiting for Sam and Nathan to arrive. It was getting late, and the sun was nearly set. They were now well out of King's Bay, and the flickering motel sign was attracting a healthy amount of mosquitoes. Sully heard a small engine and saw Nathan and Sam pull up. They parked, and walked over. "OK," said Sam, "I think the coast is clear." Nathan nodded, and Sully walked over. Nathan pulled out the three pages of his notebook he had got from the pirate museum. "For God and liberty," Sam said, "It's just their stupid motto, all those paradise references. I can't believe we missed it." "I see you two made it out alive," Sully said with crossed arms and a smile on his face. "Way better than OK," Sam said, "We found Libertalia. Sam laughed, but Sully looked confused. "Liber…Liber-what-ia?" "Libertalia," Nathan said, "It seems that Avery founded the legendary pirate colony." "More like a pirate utopia," Sam corrected. They slowly ambled over to their room, passing the large outdoor swimming pool. "OK," said Sully, "But what about the treasure?" Sam put a hand on Sully's shoulder, and said with a glint in his eye, "See, as the story goes, this place provided a safe haven for hundreds, maybe even thousands…of pirates. And they shared everything! Property, resources…" "Money?" Sully interjected. Sam nodded, "In one common treasury building." Sully chuckled, "Well OK…Where is this pirate sanctuary?" "There." Nathan said. Nathan pointed to an island he had circled on his notebook sheet, "This Island. Just northeast of King's Bay." Sully chuckled, "And Rafe has a copy of this?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah, but by the time he figures it out, we'll be well on our way to Libertalia." He opened the door to their motel room, "I'm telling you," he said as he walked in, "That treasure is as good as…" he didn't finished. His stomach did a flip-flop. There, standing in the room, looking at all their maps and plans, was Elena.


	9. Chapter 9: The Founding of Libertalia

Chapter 9

The Founding of Libertalia

Elena was holding a part of Nathan's journal. "How's the Malaysia Job going Nate?" she asked coldly. She turned to face Nathan "Seems you're a hair off course." Nathan stood there, not knowing what to say. Sam and Sully didn't look at her. They just stood at the edges of the room. Nathan sighed, "Elena…" he said, "Elena it's not what it looks like." Elena looked back at the journal. "Really?" she said in a tone of voice that made Nathan's spine tingle, "Because what it looks like, is that you're searching for Henry Avery's buried treasure." She put the journal back on the table, and walked over towards Nathan's bed, "And given all the Shoreline soldiers that are all over town, I'll bet you're not the only ones looking for it." She picked up a pistol that had been laying there on the bed, fingering it, her face not completely angry, but a strange mixture of emotions. Nathan could see anger, worry, grief and worst of all, distrust in her eyes. Nathan tried to lighten the mood, he smiled and looked back at Sully, who wasn't smiling. "Alright well…" Nathan said, "I guess it's kind of what it looks like." He chuckled. Elena looked at him, her stone cold expression not leaving. Her eyes bored holes through Nathan, "But I can explain," he said, "look, this is going to sound crazy." "Try me," Elena said throwing the pistol back on the bed. She walked over to Nathan and put her hands on her hips, her eyes not leaving Nathan's for a second. "Well for starters…" Nathan sighed, and extended his hand towards Sam, who was leaning against the wall next to the closet. "This is Sam," he said. He paused a few seconds. "Sam…Drake. My brother." Sam gently waved, "Hi…" he said. Elena looked at Nathan through narrowed eyes. Elena took a step to the side and looked at Sully. Sully shrugged, "I'm sorry darling." He said. Elena shook her head, a look on her face that Nathan had never seen before, "I thought he died in a Panamanian jail," Nathan explained. Elena stepped back, "I need to…" she started. "But I was obviously very wrong!" Nathan said, "He's been stuck in there for fifteen years and it's because of me. They guy that broke him out wants a lot of money, and the only way we can pay off the debt is by finding Avery's treasure." Elena put her hand on the desk chair, staring into the wall. "But that's the good news, we found it, or at least the island it's on. It's just off the coast." Elena closed her eyes and held out her hand. "OK, just stop!" she said. She sighed, "Was there…ever…a Malaysia Job?" she asked. Nathan just stood there. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. He had nothing to say. Elena's eyes widened, and she touched her wedding ring, gently working it off a bit. She shook her head and began making for the door in strides. "Oh come on, come on, wait! Elena!" Nathan pleaded. Elena stopped at the door, "I don't get you!" she said. "I wanted to tell you," Nathan said. Elena whipped around to face Nathan, "Alright enough!" Elena shouted. "No I wanted to!" Nathan said, "But how could I?" "I don't know," Elena said, "Just say it!?" "I had to protect you!" Nathan said. "No!" Elena said stepping forward, "You just didn't have the nerve to face me." "I knew you would react like this!" Nathan said. Elena took a step back, her mouth open. "How would you react!?" she said, "You lied to me! For weeks! If you had been killed I…I wouldn't've even known about it." She just kept looking Nathan in the eyes, "And now you have…a brother?" she said. Nathan shook his head and looked at the ground. He took a step towards Elena, but she took a step back. "It's different this time." Nathan said, "I have to save him! Look, I don't even care about the treasure." Elena shook her head, "The look on your face when you came into this room…" Nathan sighed, his conscience pricking at him. He had tried denying it, but he had indeed become obsessed with the treasure. "If you're done lying to me you should stop lying to yourself." Elena said. A tear went down Elena's face. "I got a plane to catch." She said. Nathan looked at the ground. "You do what you have to do," Elena said. She opened the door, walked out, and shut it, leaving Nathan back in the room. Nathan sighed and looked off in his wife's direction. Then, he turned around and walked back to the desk. "Hey." Sully said, "What are you doing? Go after her!" "We're not done here," Nathan replied. Sully took a step forward, "Well maybe we should be," he said. Nathan turned around. "What are you saying?" he asked. "I'm saying maybe there's a smarter way to save Sam." "Such as?" "Such as, we give him a new identity. We put him in hiding somewhere, I got contacts," "He's been in prison fifteen years!" Nathan interrupted, "He's not going into hiding." Sully nodded, "Alright fine, you go after your wife! Sam and I will head off for Libertalia." "Without me?" Nathan asked, "Come on, you'll get both of you killed." Sully huffed, "Really?" he chuckled and walked over beside Nathan, "Look kid I've been doing this for quite a long time. I think I can handle-" "Look you want to be helpful Sullivan?" Nathan asked louder than he had to, "Then keep an eye on her!" Nathan sighed and put both his hands on the desk chair, gripping it with all his might. Soon, his grip relaxed, and he started looking at the papers and maps, pretending Sully wasn't there. Sully nodded, "Whatever you say," he said in a low tone of voice. He heard Sully walk away, open the door, and leave. He kept shifting the papers and maps around, but he wasn't really looking at any of them. He couldn't abandon now, but Elena was in the right and he knew it. They had known each other for ten years, and never once had Nathan betrayed her like this. The fact that he had lied to her had eaten at him, but he had shoved the thought out of his mind. Sam walked up, "You uh…need a hand with anything?" "I got it!" Nathan snapped, "Just pack your bags." Sam nodded, and then he left the room. As the door closed, Nathan just stood still, looking at everything. The dim light of the lamp cast long shadows on the wall. He had a terrible feeling of being all alone, and the worse feeling that he had been the one that caused it.

Driving across the ocean, Nathan stared out into the bright turquoise waters. He had chartered a boat, and Sam was driving it. They were getting ever closer to Libertalia, and the weather was perfectly clear. The clouds in the sky were puffy and white, and the sky was just as blue as the water. The outboard motor whirred along, but Nathan didn't hear it. While Sam was navigating the boat, Nathan was sitting at the very back, Elena was the only thing on his mind. While covered in guilt, he wasn't repentant. He was sorry for what he had done, but not sorry enough. His obsession with the treasure was blinding him, and he couldn't see clearly enough to see the pain he was causing. He wished Elena would come back, but he didn't take the effort to go after her. Instead, he was on a boat, heading in the opposite direction. His thoughts were interrupted by Sam, "Hey Nathan!" he called, "Yeah?" Nathan said. "Land ho," Sam replied. Nathan got up walked over to the windshield. Sam was smiling wide. "How do you like that huh?" he said. There, a few miles ahead, was the hazy outline of an island. Nathan didn't know exactly what it looked like. "That's pretty cool," he said simply. Sam looked at Nathan, then gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder, "Here," he said, "Take the wheel for a sec." Sam walked to the back of the boat, "You know," he said, "all this running around, surviving by the skin of our teeth, I don't think we've taken a proper moment to appreciate just how far we've come." Sam had grabbed two bottles of beer from the back, and he handed one of them to Nathan. Nathan took it, and took a swig, before putting the bottle in the cup-holder and sighing deeply. Sam nodded, and holding his bottle said, "Listen little brother," he put his bottle in a holder, "she will get over it. I mean if we bring back a treasure like that...anybody would." Nathan shook his head, "No, I don't know," he said, "I think maybe I've…I've done this one too many times." Sam sighed and looked at the ground. He wouldn't know. The boat cut through the water, and soon they reached the waters off of Libertalia. There were many reefs and sandbars off the coast, and the island itself looked quite rocky, but not as big as Nathan was expecting. Sam said the same, "I was expecting it to be a bit bigger," Sam said. Nathan shrugged, "Well we're definitely in the right place," he said. Nathan began accelerating the motor towards the island. Sam looked at Nathan and said, "Yeah well...at least there's an island, right?" "Yeah," Nathan replied, "at least there's an island. Just keep an eye out for anything man-made." "Ah," said Sam, "you mean pirate-made!" Nathan shook his head. As they approached Libertalia, the size of it continued to underwhelm the two. "You know," Sam said, "Crazy worldwide treasure hunt aside, Avery had the right idea." "How's that?" asked Nathan. Sam shrugged and said, "Well he travelled the world, lived by his own ruled, and made his fortune, his way." Nathan cocked his head to the side, "Sure." He said, "Apart from the huge bounty on his head…" "Come on," Sam said, "It all depends on how his story ends right? Maybe in the end it was all worth it." Nathan nodded, "He hoped it would all be worth it for him as well. Now, they were right next to the island, and there was a small channel that cut the island in two. The channel was barely deep enough for their boat to drive through. Suddenly Sam called out, "Hey Nathan! Up there!" Nathan saw Sam point up, over towards the island. There was a small cylinder shaped tower high up on a rocky cliff-side that looked like a short grain silo. "Well that definitely qualifies as man-made," said Nathan. He drove the boat up to the shore, tossed out the anchor, and jumped onto the sandy beach. They began making their way up the rocky hill towards the tower. There was a sort of canyon in the center of the island, the tower on the right side. Nathan and Sam walked through it. The jungle began giving Nathan flashbacks of finding El Dorado with Elena. Then, thinking of her, he immediately thought again of his betrayal. Would Elena ever trust him again? Would she ever be able to love him again? He had only wanted to protect her. Should he have just told her to start with? She may not have liked it but she may have accepted it. She was an adventurer too after all. Too late to think about it. He sighed and they made it to the other end of the island. The beach on that side was a lot wider, and Nathan noticed something strange. It was a square post, but tied to the post was a moldering skeleton. "Whoa," Nathan said, "Wonder what this guy did." Sam shrugged, "Maybe he wouldn't stop singing sea shanties…" Nathan shook his head, "Yeah, that's probably it." He looked to the side, and leaving the skeleton, he saw stone steps carved into the rocks leading to the tower. At least he wouldn't have to climb. He started climbing them, but Elena still didn't leave his mind. He thought back to that night they had talked about his wife's article. She had asked him if he had been happy. Nathan could say with absolute truthfulness that he had been. Elena had changed his life for the better in so many wonderful ways, but now, for Elena, those doubts would be made manifest. He knew that she would now almost certainly believe that Nathan had been discontent and restless, and she hadn't really made him happy. That tortured Nathan. The more he thought about it, the more he came to grips with just how awfully he had screwed up his relationship, perhaps permanently. He shook his head, as if trying to throw the thoughts out of his head. Deep down, he knew he should've gone after her, but he had chosen to go after the treasure instead. He buried that thought, trying to justify his conscience into submission. It was too late. He had made his choice. No going back. Soon he came to the top of the hill. The tower was right in front of him. It was another old lookout tower, but not as large as the ones in Madagascar. "Let's see if we can spot something from up there," said Sam. Nathan entered the tower. There was a spiral staircase up the tower that extended out of the walls. Nathan and Sam walked up, the stairs dropping dust on the floor below. At the very top of the tower was something strange. Half of the top was floored, and the wall on the floored part was different. There was what looked like an artistic design of either flowers or vines, and in the center of it was a circular symbol. The symbol looked like an arrow pointing up. Nathan didn't know what to make of it. "What is that?" Sam asked. "Some kind of symbol," Nathan replied. Sam walked up, with a raised eyebrow, "Looks like a compass arrow," he said. Sam looked it over, then extended his hand and pressed it. The arrow pressed in, and the wall suddenly began to part in the middle, opening up. Nathan could see the boat, and suddenly he saw down on the sandy beach, another arrow rise up out of the ground, pointing out to sea. "Whoa," Nathan said, "How did you know to do that?" Sam chuckled, "Well there's one thing I've learned from you," Sam said, "Press everything." Nathan chuckled. Nathan turned, and they began making for the arrow. After climbing back down the tower and returning to the beach, Nathan looked at the arrow. He knew their exact location on the island, and he took out the map he had drawn up from King's Bay. He marked down the direction the arrow told them to go, and they both got in the boat. They started driving, but after a while they didn't see any more arrows. Confused, Nathan drove around for a while. Suddenly he saw a dark shape in the water. It was one of the arrows. They were underwater. Nathan saw it pointed slightly northeast of their previous direction. He began driving that way, and suddenly they came to another sandbank. This one was slightly larger, and there was all kind of debris on it. Curious, Nathan drove over. They got off the boat. There was a huge rocky outcrop on the one end of the sandbank. Nathan looked over all the debris. There was nothing of any value lying around, just empty wooden crates and other refuse. Nathan walked over and started passing the large stone. Suddenly he saw something poking out of the water. He walked over. It was a ship's mast! There was a large sunken pirate ship in the water, its tattered flag still fluttering around in the tropical breeze. Sam had remained on the boat, and Nathan had to swim out a bit to get back to the boat. While he swam, he heard Sam yell, "Marco!" "Who's Marco?" Nathan asked, "Forget it," Sam replied. They looked for the next arrow, and soon they saw one. It pointed directly into the island itself. Nathan drove towards the island, which was a straight up cliff at this end. As he turned he suddenly saw an opening in the cliff. It was a large cave-like chasm in the rock. Nathan looked at Sam, "Secret cave…looks promising." Sam nodded. The cave was partially underwater, and there was a set of stone stairs that were carved out of the cave wall up to the top of the cave. Sunlight leaked through roof of the cave. Nathan turned the boat off and threw the anchor into the water, before jumping onto the gravelly cave floor. There were large stalactites poking out of the ground, and water leaking over the cave walls, with moss growing in large patches. "Man we're lucky nobody ever found this place," Sam said, "The whole thing would be a tourist attraction." Nathan looked around for some way to get to the top of the cave. The stone steps had crumbled away, and were no longer climbable. He looked and saw something much more promising. In the middle of the cave was a gigantic stone pillar, not man-made, and it had quite a lot of climbable footholds. Nathan got into the cockpit of the boat and drove the boat right up against the pillar. He stopped, jumped onto the roof of the boat, and then jumped onto a small ledge on the pillar. Sam followed after Nathan. As he hopped over each foothold, he heard Sam call, "Hey, you gotta admit, this is pretty cool." Nathan grunted, "What," he asked, "climbing this cliff?" Sam jumped up to another ledge, "Yes!" he said, "Climbing this cliff on a giant secret pirate island, I mean come on!" Nathan chuckled, "Right…" he said. Nathan had climbed to the top of the pillar. Next to him was the cliff wall, and the wall opened up out of the cave and onto the island. Nathan took a deep breath, and leapt off the pillar. He grabbed a ledge on the cave wall, and shimmied over to the exit, before jumping onto the green grass outside the cave. They were now a good distance above the ocean. He turned around, "You OK Sam?" he asked. "Yeah!" Sam called back, "I just gotta make sure I don't fall to my death back here…" He heard Sam grunt loudly, then heard him hit the cave wall. Sam shimmied, and then jumped onto the ground next to Nathan. Suddenly, they both saw something right in front of them. Before them, carved out of the cliff-side was what looked like a grand entrance gate. There was a large, broad stone staircase that gently led into the entrance. There were stone pillars beside the gate, and standing on top of the pillars were large statues of pirates holding cutlasses at the ready. Judging by the faces of the statues, Nathan could tell that the likenesses were of Avery and Tew. "Wow." Nathan said, Avery sure wasn't one for subtlety or understatement wasn't he?" "Well he had the money," Sam replied, "If you got it, flaunt it right?" Nathan was impressed by the scale of the entrance. It seemed like it had been built by Roman or Greek sculptors or builders. "Come on," said Sam, "Let's get a closer look." Nathan and Sam jogged over towards the gate. Nathan however saw a big problem. The archway that you were to walk through was blocked by boulders. Nathan sighed. Beside the door on each side were stone carved crucifixes of St. Dismas. While still standing, quite a bit of the stonework was crumbling, and vines were creeping up its walls. Nathan saw the massive pile of rocks blocking the entryway. "Oh look," he said, "the main entrance is blocked by debris…again." Sam shrugged and said, "Well I guess Avery's builders didn't take hundreds of years of exposure to the elements into account." "Clearly." Nathan replied. Nathan stood there looking around, then he saw a cliff next to the entrance. He clambered up the side, and saw a small cave that went through the cliff edge to another chasm. He jumped back onto the cliff, Sam below. "Lots of climbing, and jumping everywhere huh?" Sam said. "Well it's the glamorous life of a treasure hunter," Nathan replied. The cliff edge then ended, and they had reached more or less the top of the hill. There was a large opening with crumbling stone arches. There was a stone staircase that led, Nathan hoped, up to the other side of the entryway. "What do you think this place was?" Sam asked. Nathan looked around, "Well these archways remind me of the St. Dismas cathedral," he said, "But I don't exactly know." He continued looking around. This island was so lush and green, but it was very mountainous. The island was more of an overgrown rocky crag than a jungle. The clearing they were in had a cliff edge to either side, about thirty to forty feet apart. "Hey look up there!" Sam said, "A rope bridge!" Nathan looked up. There was a rope bridge, about eighteen feet above him. Nathan looked around. There was an aging wood and rope ladder that led up to the higher cliff, but it was too high for Nathan to jump and grab. Nathan called Sam over, and boosted him up. Sam climbed the ladder. "See anything up there?" Nathan asked. "Uh, there's a path," Sam replied, "But I'll have to find a way to get you up here, hang on…" Nathan looked down. The ledge he was on suddenly ended, and dropped hundreds of feet down into the ocean. He turned around back into the clearing, and saw Sam crossing the bridge. Suddenly one of the ropes on the bridge snapped. Sam leapt across before the other one snapped, and the entire bridge collapsed. "Sam!" Nathan shouted, "You OK?" "Yeah I'm fine," Sam said, "At least I'm on the other side." He looked back at Nathan, "OK, I still need to get you up here, hang tight." He waited for a bit. A few moments passed and still no word from Sam. "Hey! Sam! Anything!?" he yelled up. No answer. "Sam! You still there!?" Still no answer. "Sam!" He huffed, "Come on," he said. He sighed, "Well let's see," he said under his breath, "I ruined my marriage, drove my best friend away, got two psychos and their army after me, and now my brother's gone missing." He shook his head, "Well at least on the bright side I don't have anybody around me to tell me what a stupid idiot I truly am…" He sighed again, then began looking around. He noticed that the broken bridge had reached down to the ground after it split in half. He climbed up it and onto the ledge Sam was on. When he did, he saw something. There was a small man-made cave in the cliff-wall. It didn't go in deep, and Sam wasn't there. He saw something laying there on the rocks. He picked it up. It was an ornately carved wooden elephant carving. Made by the people of India. Nathan looked it over, then put it in his satchel. He saw movement along the ledge he was standing on. He peeked around the corner, and saw Sam looking down. Sam saw Nathan too, "You're already up here?" Sam asked. Nathan walked over, "Where were you?!" Nathan asked. "Finding a way to get you up." Sam replied. Nathan shook his head, "Everything OK?" Sam asked, "Yeah," Nathan replied still slightly annoyed, "Fine. Let's keep going." "Alright," Sam said. They walked to the very end of the ledge, which poked out like Pride Rock. From it you could see over almost all of the small island chain. The sandbars, palm trees and sparkling crystal clear ocean water made for a feast for the eyes. The sun was warm, but not overwhelmingly hot, and a refreshing sea breeze was constantly blowing gently over them. Nathan though wasn't quite thinking about the view. "You didn't hear me?" He pressed to Sam. "When?" Sam asked, "Back there," Nathan replied, "I called to you." Sam shrugged, "No, I didn't hear you. Why, were you worried?" Nathan nodded, "Well yeah…" Nathan shook his head. He looked behind him and saw more stone stairs leading up to the top of the cliff. Nathan and Sam climbed up. At this point, they were above the gate itself. After climbing all the way to the top Nathan saw something, it was another watchtower. Nathan looked inside. This one had yet another spiral staircase on it, and was basically identical in shape to the first one. Nathan could even see the other watchtower on the far side of the island from where they were. Nathan beckoned for Sam to enter, and they both walked inside and began climbing the steps. After climbing a few steps Sa chuckled and said, "So back at the orphanage, did you ever think we'd be doing crazy stuff like this?" "No I can't say that I did," Nathan replied, "Good training though," he said. This watchtower didn't have any arrows, and instead had a trapdoor that opened to the top of the tower. Nathan opened it and climbed onto the roof. He saw another wooden rope bridge connected to it that led to the top of the cliff. Nathan and Sam crossed it without any mishaps, and then, standing on the tallest cliff, they saw a muddy slope right in front of them that led down to the ledge right above the gate itself. "Looks like we're heading down," Nathan said. "Right behind you!" replied Sam. They both slid down the slope, and landed on a ledge. The ledge was positioned diagonally away from the gate, and just a little bit above it. "That is the second biggest cistern I've ever seen," Nathan said now realizing what it was. "Wait, where was the biggest?" Sam asked, "I'll tell you later," Nathan replied, "As above, so below. Come on, let's get down there." Nathan looked for a way to jump the gap to the gate. They were now behind the gate, but they needed to get down to the ground. Nathan latched his grappling hook onto a sturdy root and began rappelling down. When he reached the bottom, he let Sam down, and then he tugged on the hook and it returned to him. He looked around awestruck. They were in a circular courtyard, with the gate on one end, surrounded by cliffs on every other end. The courtyard was overgrown, and water was falling from a cliff in a showering waterfall. There were many exotic flowers growing over the place, and the cliffs had many carved designs, the most prolific being the sideways skull of Henry Avery. The walls of the yard continued to stun the two, until Nathan came to himself and started looking. He saw an elaborately decorated doorway carved out of the cliff, which led to a storeroom, with old goods still inside. The room he was inside now was a completely natural cave, which the pirates had turned into their rooms. It had almost completely blended in with the outside at this point, with the storeroom now separated from its adjacent room with a deep pool of water. Nathan dove into the chilly water and swam over to the opposite room. He shivered a bit, but warmed up quickly. There were tree roots growing out of the ceiling, and part of the roof had caved in, letting sunlight pour inside. The room looked different from the other, as if it was some sort of planning room. As soon as he entered, he saw a table. On the table were blueprints, or brown-prints rather, that were too faded for Nathan to read, though he could just barely see the foggy outlines of some sort of building. At the other end of the room was a large wooden table, with books and chairs on it. The room was small, about the size of a small apartment level, and was almost completely part of the natural cave, the only man-made part of the cave was the clay tile floor. There was a wrought-iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Suddenly he noticed an even stranger part of the room: a diorama of what looked like an upscale British community near London. He knew it wasn't however. Beside the wooden buildings were not oak or ash trees, but palm trees. "Hey Sam," Nathan said, "Come check out this diorama!" Sam walked over, "It looks like a city street," he said. "Do you think they really built all this stuff?" Nathan made a quick sketch of it in his journal, "With these guys," he replied, "I don't know anymore." There, beside the diorama, was another building plan, but this time the drawing was quite clear. It looked like a massive cathedral, far grander than Nathan had ever seen. Sam walked over and looked at it. He chuckled, "Maybe they were planning a massive theme park." Nathan chuckled, "Pirate Land." He said. Sam laughed. Nathan looked at the diorama again. The gears inside his brain turning. He was beginning to realize the massive scale of this entire enterprise. He had started out thinking that it was just Avery and Tew teaming up and pooling their treasure, then more legendary pirate captains joined their ranks, Christopher Condent, Anne Bonny, and Adam Baldridge just to name a few. The seeming pool looked as if it was growing and growing, and now, this room. It seemed as if the pirates were forming their own civilization. It made the hair on the back of Nathan's neck tingle. This could be one of the greatest pirate discoveries of all time. Nathan walked around the room again, and saw a large painting hanging on the wall. It looked as if it was brand new, locked away in this cave away from the sunlight. This particular room also looked the least water damaged. It was titled, The First Battle, and it pictured a gigantic frigate attacking a smaller sloop. "Huh…" Sam mused, "That's Avery's ship attacking the Gunsway." "How it all started," Nathan replied. There were two other paintings beside that, and this one was even more interesting than the first. It was titles, Our Code, and it pictured Henry Avery pompously holding what looked like a scroll high above his head, Thomas Tew beside him, and all the other pirate captains cheering uproariously. "Sam look," Nathan said, "It's Avery and Tew. Holding court over their captains." "It looks like they're writing their code of conduct," Sam said. Nathan nodded, "Pirate Bill of Rights." He said almost to himself. The next painting told even more of the story. It pictured Avery's sigil, in the very center, and all around him like stars were smaller sigils, of all the other pirate captains, eleven in total. The picture's title was, The Founders. Sam looked at Nathan with an extremely excited look, "Nathan this is…this is the story of the founding of Libertalia!" Nathan shook his head taking it all in. He turned and looked at the diorama again. He suddenly noticed something, it was a small pure gold statue. Nathan picked it up. Avery had a stern face, made even sterner by his glaring eyes, glinting golden. Nothing else to see in that amazing room, Nathan emerged back into the courtyard. All around him were the cliffs, turning the courtyard almost into a kind of cylinder. He looked around. He saw a large archway in the courtyard that was taller than the rest. Nathan and Sam walked inside. It opened into a large hallway. At the center of the hallway was a large wooden gate that opened upwards like a castle door. In front of the door was a large button that you stood on to open the door. The button had Avery's sigil on it. Nathan stepped on it, and the door began to rise, before it stopped, and fell back to the ground. "Ah…The mechanism's busted," Nathan said, "We'll have to lift it." Nathan walked over beside Sam, and gripping the bottom of the door, they both grunted and strained as they hefted the door upwards. "Just…think about…all that treasure!" Sam said. Nathan slid under, "Yeah, just thinking about my back!" Nathan replied. Sam then slid under, and Nathan let the door crash down. When they entered they saw a huge circular room. Inside the room, at its center, was a raised platform in the shape of Madagascar. Surrounding the platform was ornate blue colored floor. Standing at regular intervals at the walls were eleven statues of the pirate captains that had teamed up with Avery. Everybody from Edward England to Richard Want. Everybody was there, except for the person Nathan was most expecting to see. "Where's Avery?" Sam asked. Nathan looked around, but couldn't see him. They looked around the room, but no treasure. Each of the statues were carven with extraordinary skill. They saw another cylindrical shaped room next to the big room. The small room was very small in fact, and more than five people would have a hard time fitting inside. There was a lever in the middle, and the floor was decorated to look like the sun. Nathan and Sam looked at the lever, and Nathan reached out, and pulled it. The floor suddenly shivered, and then began going up. They were inside an elevator. "OK," Nathan said, "Where to now?" The elevator stopped, and they saw where they were. The watchtower they had been inside was just above them, on another part of the island. Suddenly, rising out of the side of the island, was a gigantic Avery statue. It rose out of the ground like a soul out of the grave, before it stopped climbing, and stood there, a gigantic stone overseer. "Well there's your missing Avery statue," Nathan said. Sam chuckled and crossed his arms, "You know," he said, "I'm starting to get the feeling our friend was a bit of a narcissist." Nathan chuckled himself, "You think?" Sam smiled, "Let's go see what the captain has in store for us," he said. Nathan suddenly noticed the weather. It had shifted. It was no longer clear, but the sky in the near distance was dark and brooding, and Nathan could see flashes of lighting in the air. He looked down, the ocean was right below them, and it was beginning to get choppy. He could hear thunder rumbling, coming ever nearer. The sky continued to grow ever dimmer, and more brooding. There was a storm coming, and they needed to get back to the boat.

After getting back to, and boarding the boat, Nathan took the steering wheel. "OK," Sam said, "Island with monstrous Avery statue on the right." He rubbed his hands together, "I am so excited my hands are…My hands are literally shaking." Nathan nodded, "Yeah, I know the feeling." He said. "It's either that or I need another cigarette," said Sam, "Maybe it's a little bit of both." Nathan rolled his eyes and soon they came to the island with the statue. Nathan parked the boat right beside the statue, which was on top of a man-made cliff or pedestal. It was very high, about the height of a two-story building counting the pedestal. Sam looked at the statue, "It looks like he's got a spyglass," Sam said, "But he's not really looking through it." Nathan cocked his head, "Yeah, you're right." He said. Avery was holding the spyglass beside his head, as if he was handing it to somebody behind him. As they climbed up the pedestal's staircase, the weather continued to get worse. It was now beginning to rain, and the wind was kicking up, bending the palm trees. The thunder was also steadily getting louder, and becoming more frequent. Soon, they arrived at the back of the statue, and Nathan saw a staircase that led up behind the spyglass for him to look through. He walked up and looked through it. He could see perfectly through it, and it pointed to another island. Flashes of lightning lit up the island. "There…" Nathan said. "So?" Sam asked, "Big skull-shaped island? What?" "Big island," Nathan replied. He jumped down off the statue, "No skull." Sam stepped forward excitedly, "That's gotta be it!" he said, "Libertalia." Thunder rumbled above their heads. "That's optimistic considering everything…" Nathan said. Sam shook his head. "You know it's just us here." He said, "You can feel just a tiny bit of excitement over this." Nathan chuckled, "Well I'll get excited once we get Alcazar's noose of your neck." Nathan began walking back to the boat, but Sam hung back and put his fingers to his eyes, "OK…" he said. Nathan sighed and turned around. "What?" he asked sternly. "I just said OK." Sam replied. Nathan shook his head, "No, no, no, no, no, no. You're 'OKs' are never just OK. It usually means the opposite of OK." Sam looked at the ground, and then they both heard something. Something bad. It sounded like motorboats. They rushed over to look at the ocean. There were about a dozen small patrol boats in the water, and one really big boat. Nathan sighed, "Is that our boy Rafe?" "Who else?!" Sam said as he turned around and walked quickly back to the boat."


	10. Chapter 10: Marooned

Chapter 10

Marooned

Land was just ahead. Nathan wasn't quite sure if he could make it. The storm was only getting worse, and the wipers on the boat's windshield weren't helping at all. The fog clouded his vision, and the only way he knew land was ahead was when a flash of lightning viciously struck, lighting up the craggy silhouette for a mere second, before the shape disappeared back into the gloom. Gripping the boat's steering wheel with all his might, Nathan gritted his teeth. "Oh no…" he said as he plowed ahead. "This is really not good…" The boat tore through the choppy waters like a razor. Nathan looked to see a massive wave cresting just ahead of them. If he could accelerate fast enough he might be able to make it. "Hold on!" shouted Nathan to his back. He just barely crested the massive wave, but the boat dropped like a rock on the downward side of the wave. Nathan nearly lost his footing as the boat rocked violently to the left. "Nathan!" shouted Sam, "They're gaining on us!" Nathan looked behind him for a split second. Indeed, their pursuers were not far behind, Nathan could see the light from their boat like a search beam. "Yeah I know! I know!" Nathan shouted back, not wanting to see them. "Well crank it!" Sam shouted. "Sam I'm going as fast as I can!" Nathan yelled behind him. Sam took a pistol out of his belt and said, "Hurry! I'll try and hold them off!" Nathan used the backside of a wave to give his boat an extra boost of speed. "Here they come!" Sam shouted. Nathan looked behind him, it was far worse than he thought. Lights were on either side of him. Sam shouted, "Nathan there's about twenty boats! They have smaller boats, ram them!" Nathan tried to swerve into one of them, but it was no use. He couldn't see, and they were too fast. "Hey!" shouted Sam to the boats, "Tell your bosses to find their own treasure!" A lightning flash illuminated a boat, and Nathan swerved into one of them. The smaller boat crashed into Nathan's larger boat and flipped over. Nathan desperately tried moving towards the island. Another huge wave. He drove right up it, and the boat got several seconds of air time, before slamming back onto the water. Nathan suddenly heard Sam shout, "Big boat! Big boat!" Nathan saw a boat twice their size right beside them. The bigger boat smashed into theirs, and Sam almost fell out. Nathan sped up just enough to escape the larger boat. Suddenly Nathan saw what looked like a shooting star explode into the air from the larger boat. They were shooting mines at them! Nathan dodged a mine that exploded on contact with the water. Nathan held his grip with the steering wheel, and then another mine crashed into the water. It was right next to the boat, and Nathan felt himself spinning head over heels before hitting something that felt like cold concrete. He couldn't breathe. He realized he had been thrown from the boat, and was underwater. He ascended up and up before he saw the hull of a boat coming right for him. He dove, and the spinning blades of the outboard motor almost cut his leg off. He spun underneath the water like a ragdoll being flung in the air. When he could control himself again, he arose out of the water. "Nathan!" shouted a voice, it was Sam. Nathan begun swimming towards the voice. Sam was waving, and the boat had stopped. Nathan clambered onboard and coughed before standing up. He rushed over to the cockpit and cranked the engine. Nothing. Sam ran to the engine. "Then engine's out!" he said. "What!?" Nathan shouted. "I can fix it, just cover me!" Sam said. Nathan saw the larger boat slide up right beside them. He crouched beneath the side of the boat. He heard bullets whistling past his scalp. He pulled out his pistol. He quickly stood up and aimed. He shot the man in his shoulder. The man on the boat fell, gripping his shoulder. There was still another man shooting at him. He shot him and he went down. Suddenly another man came out, and his weapon was far deadlier than a pistol. He shot, and a huge explosion hit the water. "A grenade launcher!" shouted Sam. Nathan's clip was empty. He reloaded and shot the man with the grenade. As the man went down, he accidentally fired his grenade right into his own ship. It exploded, orange fire lighting up the water. Nathan gasped, and Sam laughed, "Ha! Serves ya right!" The big boat was gone, but it was far from over. Some of the smaller boats had pulled up beside him. Nathan looked and shot the boat itself. They were merely rubber patrol boats. "Sam, how's the engine!" shouted Nathan, "Making progress!" Sam replied. Another boat. Nathan shot the driver in the arm and he dropped his weapon. "I got it I got it!" shouted Sam, "It's working?!" Nathan asked, "Yeah!" shouted Sam, "Get us out of here! Head straight for the island!" Nathan jumped into the cockpit. "Rocks! Dead ahead!" shouted Sam, "I can barely see out there!" shouted Nathan as he started the engine. A few spurts, and then they started making for the island. Another blinding flash of lightning cut the outline of the island out of the sky. As he got closer to the island, huge spiked rocks reached out of the water like a monster's teeth. Nathan barely missed one of the crags, and another patrol boat came right next to them. Nathan looked beside him to see one of the men in the boat hold up an AK rifle. He never shot. Their boat crashed into one of the rocks and exploded. Nathan just stared ahead, grim resolve on his cold, wet face. Suddenly he heard Sam yell, "Ahead, Nathan look out!" Nathan saw the flaming boat right ahead of him. They slammed into the boat, and their boat flipped over. The last thing Nathan heard was Sam yell, "Nathan!"

The rain continued to pelt down on the island. Nathan and Sam's boat was in a fiery wreck just offshore, stuck on a massive rock. The wind continued to whip and the thunder and lightning continued to go at it savagely. Gasping, Nathan crawled forwards on his hands and knees, splashing in a huge puddle. He grunted as he struggled forward, dazed and slightly disoriented. He couldn't remember where he was on the island. He didn't remember where they had crashed, and he didn't see Sam anywhere. He coughed and sputtered, then collapsed onto his stomach right into a muddy puddle, water splashing into his face. He spit it out, then, breathing heavily, he looked up. From what he could tell, this island was not only much bigger than the last one, but also just as rocky and mountainous. Libertalia. Now all he wanted was to get off of Libertalia and rejoin Elena. Now, his tie to Elena was severed, in more ways than one, and he felt so awfully cold and alone. The feeling was only heightened by the fact that he was also literally cold and alone. He struggled to his feet. When he did, he felt a cold sensation shoot up his back. He shivered. "I have to get off this beach," he said to himself. He looked out into the gloomy ocean, and saw the utter desolated remains of the boat. There were huge rocks that jutted out of the sea, shaped like crooked triangles, which ended in pointed tips. He put his hands to his mouth, "Sam!" he yelled into the storm, "Sam! Can you hear me!?" No answer. "Maybe further up shore…" he said. He began heading right, towards a tall cliff. The rocks of the beach were slippery, but Nathan maintained his footing. A sudden flash of lightning lit up his path like a strobe light, before everything melted back into darkness. Nathan could just barely see, with the rain falling in sheets. He came up to the cliff. "Alright, first thing's first," he said, "Get to higher ground…First rule of survival, get to higher ground…Well that's not the first…rule…I…Sam! Come on! Answer me!" He shook his head. He pressed on, trying to get inland. Suddenly he slipped and hit the ground. He grunted, and groaned as he stood back up. He felt his head. There was blood on his hand when he looked. "Ah Sam come on," he said to himself, "Sam! Where are you Sam! Saaam!" Still no answer. He sighed and kept jogging along the beach. He shivered. He knew that if he couldn't find shelter, he would be at a huge risk of hypothermia, even in a tropical place like this. Suddenly he saw something washed up on the beach along with some wreckage from the boat. It was their supply box. Nathan quickened his pace to reach it, "Oh thank God," he said. He crouched down and opened the lid. Nothing. It was empty. Nathan closed his eyes and punched the rocky ground with his fist. "Of course," he said, "Everything's gone." He punched the ground again, then realized something. In actuality, the fact it was empty might be a good sign, he figured, maybe Sam had already been there and taken it himself. He saw the cliff flash in front of him. The thunder followed quickly. He began making in that direction. While Nathan didn't quite realize it, his movements were beginning to get sluggish, and he felt dizzy and disoriented. Still he desperately made for the cliff. He threw himself up a ledge, but the ledge quickly ended. He jumped off, but he didn't land on his feet. He smacked into the cold ground on his stomach. It took him a while to get up, but he did. He saw the cliff right next to him had some footholds, and he slowly clambered up the side of it, slipping several times. The ocean crashed beneath him. He reached a tiny ledge just barely wide enough for him to shimmy through. He cautiously inched by, and reached a wider ledge. His head was starting to pound, and his vision would blur. He shook his head and plowed forward, reaching another cliff-side. He climbed up the side, and suddenly water began draining down from the top of the cliff. It splashed onto him, drenching him and making him lost his grip on the rocks. Just below him was the cold, hard ground. Suddenly the water splashed into his eyes with even harder force. Nathan yelled, and lost his grip. He fell down, and hit the ground on his back. He groaned, unable to move. A flash of lightning burned through the air, but Nathan couldn't see it. He couldn't see, or feel anything.

The dripping of the cave was constant. Nathan had fallen into an out-cove inside the cliff-edge. It formed a sort of cave that only reached into the cliff about ten feet. Nathan had fallen through a hole in the cave's ceiling, which had crashed in long ago. He grunted and tried to get up. He looked around him, beginning to remember what had happened. The storm had blown over, but everything, including himself, was still soaking wet. He felt his head, which was still aching terribly. His left temple was bleeding, but not profusely. He felt blood on his chest, and dripping down his arm. Nothing too serious though, most of the bleeding had stopped. He got up, and he walked over to the entrance to the cave. He could see out over almost the entire island. One thing was for sure, this island was far larger than the last one, and at its center was the most terrifying looking mountain Nathan had ever seen. It looked like the top jaw of a dragon rising out of the earth itself. With an eye, and teeth curving downwards towards the ground, which were of course huge stalactites. The island was several miles away, and the rest of the island was also craggy and rocky. It was a mountainous island, but nevertheless, it was incredibly lush and green. It was a tropical rainforest sure enough, and its beauty was enhanced by the faded sunrise that was just beginning to poke out of the pinkish clouds. As he looked at the mountain, suddenly he saw a flashing light. It looked like somebody was flashing a spotlight, and Nathan soon realized it was Morse code. It read, "Sic Parvis Magna." Nathan knew who it was. It was Sam, only he would know what that meant. Nathan however didn't have any way of communicating back. He sighed. He'd have to move. "I have to get up to that…creepy mountain," he said to himself. He began walking along the cliff edges again. "Just stay put Sam," he said, "I'm coming to you." He began heading in the direction of the light. He had to risk navigating the cliffs that were just above the ocean. He began climbing the footholds of the cliff-side. Water was trickling in some places, and near-waterfalls of drain off were gushing down in others. He climbed for at least an hour, slowly progressing upwards. At this point he was now at least four-hundred feet in the air above the ocean. If he was to fall into the ocean, it wouldn't be like jumping into water, instead it would be like jumping into cement. "Alright," he said, "Up we go…" Suddenly his hand slipped. He fell about seven feet before he grabbed a crevice in the rock with one hand. He dangled several hundred feet above the crashing waves. He grunted and grabbed the crevice with his other hand. "That's a long way down…Long, long way down…" he said. Sunlight was slowly beginning to light up the island. It was foggy down towards the ocean, and the sun still hadn't quite poked above the horizon line yet, since Nathan was on a cliff at the West side of the island. He could see the top of the cliff, and he grunted as he reached for it. He heaved himself up, and made it to the top of the cliff. He caught his breath and looked out into the ocean far below. Suddenly he saw something in the water. It was another patrol. He sighed. "Rafe…" he said to himself, "Ah, watch your back Sam." He looked around. While he was at the top of the cliff edge, the cliff still rose above him, gently sloping up. He saw a depression in the rock, which turned out to be a small cave. Curious, he entered. Instead of seeing any signs of Sam, he saw something far more disturbing. Painted on the wall of the cave were the words, "No quarter for thieves." A skull and crossbones was painted right above it, the paint dripping down the cave walls like blood. Beside the graffiti was a skeleton. The skeleton was slumped over, with moss growing over his disintegrating bones, and a cutlass thrust through his ribcage. Nathan suddenly saw a small detail on the skull and crossbones he had overlooked. Scratched on the skull's forehead was a horizontal line, with three parallel lines crossing it vertically. Nathan couldn't help but wonder if this was referencing Jesus, Dismas, or the other thief on the cross, but then again it was also the nautical symbol for shipwreck. Nothing else to see, so he left the cave. He walked around towards the center of the island, but would have to climb up another cliff. He sighed and looked around. Hanging from a rope was yet another dead pirate. His skeleton was hanging off of the cliff, with the rope tied in a knot around his leg. He had died there hanging for who knows how long, unable to untie the knot and free himself. He looked at the rock face, which was much different on this area. It wasn't a flat surface, but the rock was porous, and was much softer than the normal rock He climbed up the normal rock beside the pirate. In the pirate's skeletal hand he clutched a piton. Nathan reached, and grabbed it. The rope snapped, and the skeleton crashed to the ground, old bones flying everywhere. Nathan looked it over. A piton is a small stake-like climbing tool that mountaineers still use, and this one was fairly similar. It was made of metal that had somehow hadn't rusted, with a tight rope grip. Nathan looked it over, shimmied a little closer towards the porous rock, and jammed the piton into the rock. It sunk in deeper than Nathan had anticipated. Carefully he tugged at it. It didn't budge. He tried climbing up it, and held. "Well…" he said, "It's working…" He made it to the top of the ledge, but he would have to jump down to another porous rock to climb up further. He clenched the piton in his fists and jumped. When he landed, he jabbed the piton into the rock, and it made a deep slash mark as he slowed to a stop. He shook his hand. It felt like he had tried to hang on to a comet's tail. He shook his head and walked out to the end of the cliff. Now he was walking into the jungle on the island. He walked until he saw a higher cliff ledge above him. Suddenly he saw a man walk out onto the ledge, but it wasn't Sam. It was a Shoreline mercenary. Nathan gasped and ducked into the high grass. The man looked around, and then shot at the ground dangerously close to Nathan. Nathan gritted his teeth and froze in the grass. He saw another mercenary run over. "What is it?" the other mercenary asked, "What are you shooting at!?" The mercenary that had shot at Nathan replied, "Ah, I thought I saw movement down there, but I don't think anybody's there. Alright guys! False alarm." "And the gang's all here…" Nathan muttered to himself. He slinked along in the high grass, knowing he would have to stealth his way out of the situation. He slowly crept up to the cliff and cautiously climbed up, not making a sound. After only a few jumps he made it to the top of the ledge. The area was crawling with mercenaries. He could just barely hear the two of the ones from earlier talking to one another. Nathan listened as he stood on a foothold only a few inches from the top of the ledge. "So which one did you see?" asked the first, "The older brother," the man replied, "He shot a few of our men and ran off." "Do you think the other one's alive?" asked the second, "Well until we find a body I'm going to do with yeah," The mercenary said. "How did they survive that wreck?" asked the first, "They keep getting lucky!" The second mercenary huffed and replied, "Well luck eventually runs out…" Nathan saw a mercenary walking dangerously close to the cliff edge. Nathan was hanging off the very top of the cliff ledge now, and suddenly the mercenary saw Nathan. The mercenary crouched, but Nathan didn't give him any time to fire his weapon. When the mercenary crouched down, he saw Nathan, but Nathan grabbed his throat and threw him down off the ledge. The mercenary fell, but then grabbed Nathan's foot. Nathan grunted, and gave the mercenary's head a sharp kick. The mercenary fell down about ten feet to the ground below, thoroughly unconscious. He looked down to make sure he was out, and then peeped his head just above the cliff edge. There were two mercenaries just above him. He carefully climbed up the ledge, hid behind a rock, and watched. One of the mercenaries was walking towards Nathan. He could see the mercenary's shadow growing ever larger. As soon as he turned the corner Nathan grabbed the man, covered his mouth, and knocked his head into the rock. He fell down. Suddenly he heard a mercenary just behind the rock, "Hey, Martin, did you see that?" Nathan pushed himself against the rock. Had he been seen? "Look there's another one!" he said, "These bugs are everywhere!" Nathan gasped a sigh of relief. "Do you have any repellant?" the mercenary asked. The other mercenary replied, "Yeah I got some. Don't use too much. I have a feeling this won't be a short mission." The first mercenary sighed, "Well I really don't see the point in this…" he said, "Hundreds of millions worth of treasure is the point," the second mercenary corrected. The first one huffed, "Well pirate treasure is for kid's books," he said, "We keep chasing fairy tales and we'll all end up dead." Nathan saw the two of them part ways. He saw a higher ledge and making sure he wasn't in the direction of any mercenaries he climbed up. He was startled almost to death when he saw a mercenary standing on the ledge. Thankfully, his back was to Nathan. After a bit, the mercenary turned, and noticed Nathan. Nathan jumped up to him, and punched him in the face, before ramming him into the ground. The mercenary had an AK, and Nathan didn't have any guns. He slung the AK on his back and took some of the bullets before making his way through. He jumped off the ledge into more high grass. Suddenly he froze in his tracks. There were two mercenaries on the ledge he had just left. "Hey, look," said one, "That's Allan! Somebody knocked him out!" He heard the mercenary shout, "Hey boys! Drake may have just knocked out one of our men! Keep your eyes peeled!" Nathan growled and slowly crept through the grass. He heard somebody in the near distance yell, "Another body! He's got to be here! Come on out Drake!" Nathan didn't come out, he just kept making his way through the grass. He saw another rock ledge in front of him. He climbed up and hid behind a rock on top. Suddenly he saw a red laser gunsight cut above him. He stared at it, not moving a muscle. Soon the laser vanished. He peeped his head above the rock. It was a sniper with a grenade launcher. He looked to his left. There was a tall cliff edge that raised about forty feet high, and it ran all the way to the end of this particular division of mercenaries. He stealthily slinked over to the cliff, but yet another mercenary blocked his way. There was no way to sneak up on him from the ground. Nathan backtracked to another rock pillar he had seen. He climbed up the side of it, and then he jumped off of it, landing directly on the mercenary, and slamming him into the ground, knocked out cold. Suddenly he heard something boom, then he saw an explosion only fifteen yards away from him. He rolled back into the grass. "I got him!" he heard somebody shout. He had been spotted. He hid behind a boulder and felt the boulder rattle as the grenadier shot it with his grenade launcher. He got out his AK, and aiming, he shot at the grenadier with deadly accuracy, but the grenadier was wearing armor. He saw two mercenaries heading his way. He shot one and he fell. For the other, he got closer, then shot. He moved closer to the grenadier, shots zipping past him as he flew towards his enemy. He saw the grenadier, who lined Nathan up in his laser sight. Nathan shot him square in the shooting arm. The mercenary dropped his weapon, and Nathan finished him off. There were only two mercenaries left, and Nathan saw one of them pick up the grenade launcher. Nathan aimed for the magazine of the launcher and shot. The grenades exploded, destroying both the gun, and flinging the two mercenaries into the air, before the crashed onto the ground. Breathing heavily, Nathan quickly left the area.

The jungle was hot and steamy, and birds with fantastic colors fluttered everywhere. Nathan looked all around. The trees were so thick in place, it almost looked as if you were inside a leafy cave. The rocky look of the island continued to inspire wonder in Nathan. There were cliffs and rocky ledges and platforms made of rock that were raised above the ground itself. Everything was either grey, lush green, or brown. He came to a dead end. The cliff edge towered above him in a horseshoe shape, the only opening leading back the way he came. He looked around when he saw yet another skeleton, sprawled on the ground, with a leather haversack still strung around his bony shoulder. He opened the satchel. Inside was another old note. He picked it up. It read, "To whoever finds this note, know that Jonathan Burns, financier and leader of our expedition, has murdered me – and others – for want of Avery's treasure. He worked the crew to the point of exhaustion, promising them the riches of paradise, but instead bringing them illness and starvation. I witnessed the cur bind a man to the mast of our ship and leave him to die, and then push another crew member off the ship for daring to speak his mind. He found me making preparations to leave for home and he confronted me. I brandished my pistol and informed him that I was making back for England, where I would inform the world of his deeds. The coward shot me, and I returned fire, before he fled into the jungle. I am not certain if my bullets hit my mark. Now, my time grows short, and my hand weak, but in the absence of justice, I beg you pray that Burns receives divine justice for his deeds. Signed, Walter Hayes. First Mate of the Suffolk. 1808." Nathan folded the note and put it in his journal. "Wow," he said, "That's pretty dark. Seems like Burn's crew had about as much luck as me with this treasure…" He looked above him. He would have to climb up the cliff. He jumped up, grabbing the handholds, as he climbed, he noticed there were some loose rocks above him. He avoided them, but suddenly one of them dislodged, and all of them began to tumble down onto Nathan. He clutched the cliff edge and let them pass over him. When it was over, he grunted and clambered onto the ledge. He stood up, and suddenly heard footsteps running over towards him. More mercenaries! Nathan whipped out his pistol, but it wasn't a mercenary. He sighed in relief. "I almost shot your head off," said Sam. Sam put his pistol back in his holster. "Sam," Nathan said, "I'm glad you're OK." Sam shrugged, "Yeah," he replied, "Nothing I couldn't walk away from." Nathan sighed and sat down on one of the rocks. Sam walked over and gave him a pat on the back. "Good to see you alive little brother," he said. Nathan nodded, and Sam stepped back, "Come on," he said, "We got a treasure to find!" Nathan held up his hand. "Just hold on man," he said shaking his head, and chuckled, "What are we doing?" Sam shrugged, "What do you mean?" Nathan shook his head, "I mean our supplies are at the bottom of the Indian Ocean." Sam shrugged yet again and pointed towards the ocean, "So we steal some from Nadine's army." Sam replied. "Yeah and there's that," Nathan said, "We're going up against an army." "We've been holding our own so far!" Sam said. Nathan chuckled, "While being marooned in the middle of nowhere!" he said. Sam shook his head, "We were trying to get here, remember?" he said with a slight tone of either anger or annoyance in his voice, "When we had an escape plan." Nathan finished. He sighed and looked at Sam, "OK," he said, "Just hear me out, crazy suggestion. Let's go down there, and at least secure one of Rafe's boats." Sam shook his head, "The boats can wait," he said sternly, "You want to know what we're doing here? We're buying my life back. OK?" Nathan rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Now we're going to do that," continued Sam, "by stepping into that jungle and finding Libertalia." Nathan looked back at Sam and said, "Well have you seen any signs of a massive pirate colony? Cause I sure haven't!" Sam shook his head and replied, "It's a little late to be developing doubts don't you think?" Nathan stood up off the rock, "Look," he said, "We can at least entertain the possibility that maybe Avery's idea for a secret pirate utopia didn't pan out." Sam stepped back but Nathan continued, "I mean maybe we're just swept up in this fantasy, when instead we should be finding a real way to save you." Sam looked at Nathan, his face unbelieving. Then his eyes narrowed, "I'm going to scour this island inch by inch," he said in a low voice, "Until I find Avery's treasure." Nathan sighed deeply, "Now if you're confused about what you're doing here," Sam said, "then you can go home Nathan." Sam gently pushed Nathan back. Nathan just stood there, incredulous. Sam turned and began walking away. Nathan shook his head and walked forward, "Wait, wait," he said grabbing Sam by the arm, "I can go home!? Are you kidding me!?" They both stood there. Looking at each other. "Do you have any idea what I put on the line to get you here!?" Nathan shouted. "How about what I put on the line," Sam said pointing to himself, "The last fifteen years of my life-" "Oh come on this has nothing to do with that!" Nathan interrupted. "It has everything to do with that!" Sam replied. Nathan was about to answer, but he didn't. He stood there, no longer looking at Sam. "What?" Sam asked. Nathan didn't answer, instead he walked past Sam and over towards a huge boulder that was just behind them. There were leafy vines covering the rock, but Nathan pushed them apart. When he did, he revealed Henry Avery's sigil carved into the rock itself. It was large, about a foot across. Sam smiled and looked at Nathan, "You still want to go home?" he asked. Nathan walked forward, "Let's just see what else we can find." He replied. Nathan looked down. There was a gravel pathway, whether natural or man-made Nathan couldn't tell. There was a ledge and Nathan jumped down. In front of him was a massive baobab tree. Nathan saw two ring tailed lemurs scurry up the trunk like two squirrels. He chuckled and walked up closer to the tree. As he expected, the primate jumped up the tree and out of sight. He could hear dozens of birds all singing and whooping and fluttering around, the beauty of this jungle was magnificent. They were inside a canyon, with cliff walls on either side of them, only about fifteen feet high. Nathan heard Sam call, "This way Nathan," and he followed. He splashed through a swampy patch of ground, and noticed a centuries old cart that had been left to rot. Inside the cart were three huge stones. The wheels were gone, but then Nathan noticed three barrels sitting beside it. He continued along the gravel path, then realized that it was man-made. Just before he realized, it, he saw a stone archway, with a pair of wooden doors rotting off their hinges. It wasn't a large archway, just tall enough for a man to walk under, but it was definitely a very good sign. "Well would you look at that!" Sam said. Nathan huffed, "Yeah well let's just hope the rest of it isn't buried underneath centuries of dirt and rock…" "Glass half full if you please," Sam replied. They both entered through the gates. They were underneath a rotten wooden roof. There had once been a house in this very spot, but it had decayed, and was now almost part of the forest, with plants drooping down from the top. They continued walking, until they exited the ruins and made it to another building. It was made of moss covered stone bricks, and there was a large entryway to the cellar that was open. Nathan jumped down into the cellarway and looked around. Rats scurried away from him as he approached. He saw a shelf full of old supplies, and the masonry was crumbling. He couldn't see any way to the upper floor. Sam chuckled, "This place has seen some better days huh?" he said. "Yeah," Nathan replied, "Looks like the roof could use some work. Let's just hope it doesn't come down on top of us." He saw a small opening to his left. He crouched low and entered. The dust was choking, and every step he took, he heard the floorboards creaking. He saw a set of stairs and he cautiously stepped on one of the steps. It didn't give, and he stepped on the next one. It too stood, and Nathan climbed the rest of them, though the creaking they made was loud enough to wake the dead. When he entered into the main building itself, he was shocked. The roof was gone, though the walls still had fading paint peeling in almost all the places you could still see it. The windowsills was crooked, and the floor was dirt. There were full grown trees growing inside, and it looked like nature had completely reclaimed it. He could see part of the roof caved in on one end, though the other end was almost completely empty. He looked around for an exit, and he saw one, a huge open window without any glass inside. He called Sam over and they took a large box over to stand on. After boosting themselves up, they stood on a balcony, and what it overlooked took Nathan's breath away. There, in front of his eyes, was Libertalia.


	11. Chapter 11: Join Me in Paradise

Chapter 11

Join Me in Paradise

The immensity of the city was beyond description. It was the legendary pirate utopia, sitting in the middle of the jungle, isolated for three hundred years. It made Nathan stand there, without a word, for he couldn't tell how long. There were huge wooden buildings standing all over the valley. Towering above each side were huge steamy mountains, and at the very top of the valley was the biggest building. A mansion, the building was the centerpiece of Libertalia, and it was, as Nathan correctly guessed, the treasury. Everything looked like the jungle had taken over, with trees growing everywhere, and vines creeping down all of the buildings. The entire place looked like it was taken out of a movie. "What do you see?" Sam asked with awe. Nathan shook his head, "No houses, wide street. Clearly a commercial district." Sam, still elated, replied, "Yes, thank you for that, Nathan come on. What do you see?" Nathan stood there, then, shaking his head, he chuckled, "You really want to hear me say it don't you?" "I really, really want to hear you say it!" Sam replied. "Alright," Nathan said, "Libertalia." Sam laughed and almost jumped in the air for sheer joy. "Libertalia!" he said grabbing Nathan's arm, "The long-lost pirate utopia!" he clenched his fist, "Discovered after three hundred years by one Samuel Drake." Nathan looked Sam's way, "And…" he said. Sam raised his hands and said, "And his younger, slightly less charming brother who happened to be tagging along for the ride. Nathan chuckled and shook his head. "You know," said Sam, "I always knew you'd make something of yourself one day…" Nathan looked at Sam and said, "Yeah well this isn't my first lost city I have Iram of the Pillars, Shambhala, El Dorad-" "Shh…shh," Sam hushed, "Just…enjoy the moment." And so he did. He stared out over everything. The wooden buildings, the statues, the mansion at the top of the hill, everything. The waterfalls pouring down the mountainside, the steamy tops of the mountains. After a few more respectful moments of awe, Sam said, "Well, where do you want to start?" Nathan thought for a moment then pointed to the mansion, "How about that one up there?" he said. Sam nodded, "Oh, so you mean the one with the massive guard tower?" Nathan looked at Sam, "Yeah," he said, "Let's go see what it was guarding." "Works for me." Sam said. Sam then jumped off the balcony. Nathan stood there for just a few more moments, still taking it all in. He heard Sam call from below, "This is…I mean…I'm speechless!" Nathan chuckled. He had the same feeling when he found the Atlantis of the Sands, otherwise known as Iram of the Pillars. But then, when he discovered Shambhala, he had also had that same feeling. Nathan jumped down off the balcony, and landed on a wooden balcony or deck. Sam looked around and shook his head, "Man," he said, "How long do you think it took them to build all of this?" Nathan shook his head himself and replied, "Oh, years! Decades even. How did they keep it a secret all that time?" Nathan looked behind him. It looked like they were in an open building that was either a water storage facility, or a treatment area. There were barrels on racks with pipes leading in different directions. "This place," Sam said, "even without the treasure its…it's quite the find!" Nathan huffed, "If only Alcazar saw it that way…" "You just can't enjoy this can you?" Sam said, "Hey I'm enjoying it," Nathan replied, "I'm just keeping the bigger picture in mind. We have a goal here, remember?" Sam nodded, "Trust me," he said, "I remember." Nathan jumped off the treatment deck, and onto the cobblestone street. The streets were about as well defined as paths animals make in the woods, as the stones were covered with moss, lichen, and other plants. He walked down the main street. There were even iron streetlamps, rusted, with vines crawling up them. The buildings had signs that hung off of rusty chains, though most of them were too faded to read. Some of the buildings were crooked, or leaning, as the ground had shifted or become uneven. He looked at one of the houses. The porch had a wooden chair. He meandered over and sat down. He looked around, still overwhelmed by his discovery. Sam walked over, and pulled up a chair beside him that was laying on the ground. "Not a bad view," said Sam as he sat down. Nathan looked at the barrel beside him. There were two wooden beer mugs sitting on top of the barrel. He picked one up, and turned it upside down. Nothing but dust came out. "Hey," Nathan said holding up his mug, "Cheers!" Sam picked up the other mug and they toasted. He sat there a few seconds, the gentle tropical breeze flowing through his hair. "What were they doing here?" Nathan asked Sam. Sam cocked his head, "Who the colonists?" he asked. "Yeah," Nathan replied, "I mean you throw your lot in with these infamous outlaws and…then what?" Sam cocked his head again, "You know," he said. Sam sighed contentedly and continued, "Take a load off…Find some refuge…Enjoy a little grog," Nathan chuckled, "There's far worse fates," Sam said. "I guess," Nathan replied, "Except you have to see Avery's statue every day." Sam laughed. Nathan smiled and looked at his mug thoughtfully. How many times had he done something like this? Gone and found an entirely undiscovered lost city. How many chances at a normal life had he thrown away? He sighed and was about to say something to Sam, but he hesitated, before asking, "Hey you uh…You ever wonder, like, with different choices, how we might've ended up?" Sam thought for a minute before replying, "What, you mean like if you took your little magic show on the road?" Nathan laughed, he had nearly forgot about his childhood magic show obsession. "Well, you know," he said, "That might've been a viable option." Sam shook his head, "That would not have been a viable option…" "Hey, don't start ragging on it now," Nathan said, "You'd beg me to show you how to do those tricks," Sam waved his hand and another pause ensued. After a bit Nathan pressed his question a bit more seriously, "No but I mean…What would our lives have been like if we hadn't have started chasing these...these people that've been dead for hundreds of years?" A bird chirped loudly above their heads, singing its exotic calls, "You think it might've resembled more of a…normal life?" Sam breathed in, "Hmm…" he said, "Normal..." he sat there for a bit, looking at the ceiling, "You got everybody gathered around a table for Thanksgiving…The women are exchanging baby photos…Something like that?" Nathan didn't answer, he just looked at Sam, "No," Sam said, "No. No thank you. Not for me." Nathan nodded. "I like the hand we've been dealt," Sam finished. "Yeah," Nathan said, "I've heard that before." Sam leaned forward, "Come on," Sam said, "I mean, we're fortunate men." Nathan chuckled, "This is fortunate?" he asked. Sam nodded, "Yeah." He said, "I mean of course I've been locked up for the past fifteen years so it's all relative I suppose." Nathan nodded, "I'll give you that," he said, "This is much better than prison." He sat there a few moments more, before he sighed, "Well," he said, "My mug's run dry." Sam chuckled and put his mug down, "Yeah I was about to say," he said, "Service here is lousy…" He got up and looked around the building a little bit more. This was just so surreal. They had just discovered a lost pirate colony, and there were no Shoreline mercenaries in sight. Nathan didn't want to jinx himself though…Sam looked around outside the house, but Nathan stayed inside for a bit. It amazed him how modern the house looked. It wasn't a mansion by any means, but it was a house that any well-to-do American would gladly live in, if it just hadn't been neglected for over three hundred years. The downstairs was filled with decorated wooden furniture, and the house itself was shaped like an old London home, which of course made sense as Henry Avery was a British pirate. He walked up the steps. The only room upstairs was a large master bedroom, with a bed that was surprisingly intact, a table that could seat three people, and other furniture, including a solid brass chamberpot. Nathan had no desire to take it though…Beside the bedroom there would've probably been another room, but the entire floor had caved in and rotted away without a trace, the wall completely open to the outside. Nathan went back downstairs and outside. Just across the street from the house they had just been in, was a smaller building. They entered. There was no front wall, it had completely rotted away, making the place look like an open air establishment. It was a fully operational bar, or at least, it had been. There were huge barrels of beer that were rotted, without a drop of beer left in them. There was a bar with stools, and other tables for seating. There were even unbroken bottles standing on some of the tables. "Looks like we found the local watering hole," said Sam. Nathan chuckled, "Pirates will be pirates," he replied. While most of the place was fairly intact, there were some broken stools and broken bottles, which led to an obvious conclusion, "Rough place," said Nathan, "broken bottles, broken glass…" "Pirates will be pirates," Sam repeated. Nathan chuckled again and looked around some more. There was another building further down the road. Nathan entered. Sam and Nathan were both exploring slowly, and separately, now that they were here, there wasn't much left to do but explore around. They would make it to the mansion, but first they wanted to look around. Nathan entered one of the houses, and after a quick look around, he saw something laying on a desk on the upper floor. He picked it up. It was a note that was still legible. The note read, "You no doubt heard my vessel was destroyed by an East Indian ship. If you grieved for me, I beg your forgiveness, but I needed the world to believe me dead. Not only is your son alive and well, but you will rejoice to hear I have resigned my captaincy. I no longer make my fortunes as a thief, instead my stalwart crew of buccaneers and I have joined with other likeminded souls to further the cause of liberty. We are founding a colony where every man is considered equal and free to do as they wish. To that end, I have chosen to work the blacksmith forges, which I imagine will amuse you to no end, but it brings me satisfaction, the likes of which I haven't found back home. For now, our location must remain secret, but one day I hope you may come here to see what we have accomplished: a society free from the unjust subjection you have grown to accept." It was signed, "Christopher," and it was dated May 17, 1715. Nathan nodded and folded the note into his journal. Obviously Libertalia was immensely successful at one time. It's existence proved that, but what happened to it? Was it simply abandoned when the Golden Age of Piracy ended? Did funding for the project reach critical levels? Or did the pirates simply leave it after a certain point? One thing was for sure, this was the greatest pirate discovery of all time, though Nathan wanted to know how the story of Libertalia ended. He figured that Libertalia must've even been an active port at one time, since the letter that this man had penned would have to be shipped overseas. Either he would deliver the letter himself, or he would sail it off. Nathan didn't remember seeing a port though, or any ruins that would suggest that a port or dock had once been there. Even so, such a structure could've easily vanished without a trace centuries ago with the rough weather that sometimes hit the island. Nathan went back down the stairs of the building, and then saw a door that descended into a cellar. Nathan went down the steps, and found himself in a blacksmith forge. Stranger still, the forge was open air. There were pillars that supported the house above it, but beneath the house was this smithy. It must've always been open air since Nathan couldn't see if there had been a wall to the street beforehand or not. He walked towards the open street, and saw a table. There were lumps of metal, a few fire stokers, and a cutlass. The sword was expertly crafted, and though a bit rusted, it could've still been used in a duel. He looked it over. It was finely balanced, and Nathan admired it for a few more seconds, before gently putting it back on the table. He turned around, and suddenly saw Sam lunge at him with a cutlass, "Avast ye dirty dog!" Sam shouted pointing the cutlass at Nathan, before the entire blade broke off from the hilt and clattered onto the ground. Nathan chuckled, "Nice," he said. Sam shrugged and held the bladeless hilt in his hand, "I was doing the…" he said, "Oh yeah, I know," Nathan replied shaking his head. Sam, still embarrassed, threw the hilt on the ground and walked away without looking at Nathan. "You're a horrible pirate," Nathan said with a chuckle. After a few minutes looking around the smithy, Sam picked up the slightly better crafted cutlass and engaged in a mock swordfight, he looked at Nathan and asked, "So, do you think they traded with other colonies?" Nathan walked over, and Sam ended his battle, "Well if they did they didn't do it on this island," Nathan replied, "Otherwise word might've gotten out about this place." "Good point," said Sam. They moseyed around the smithy a bit longer, before they walked over to the next building. It was a stable, but there was something strange about this stable. Inside the stalls, still tied up, were the bleached skeletons of about five horses. Nathan crouched down and picked up one of the bones, "Huh," he said, "Horse bones…and they're still tied up, like they were just abandoned…but why?" Sam shrugged, "I don't know," he said, "Maybe they left in a hurry…or they were taken away." Nathan shook his head, "No," he said, "Something's not right here." Nathan got up and he saw Sam crouching next to another skeleton, "So what do you think happened here?" Sam asked. "What do you mean?" asked Nathan. Sam held up his hands and replied, "Well all good things must come to an end right? I mean I joke about a cursed pirate treasure…but after hearing your stories…" Nathan shrugged himself. He was already developing a few theories of his own. Suddenly he noticed that while there were horse corpses here, there was a startling lack of human corpses. All throughout the islands surrounding Libertalia, and even in Scotland, there had been human skeletons. Here, there were none. Nathan felt like even at this point, he should've at least found one. But there were no humans to be found. It was making Nathan wonder. Why no human corpses, and why abandon the horses? It made no sense. He walked out of the stables, and suddenly noticed what looked like a gravestone standing just outside it, in the middle of the street. Nathan walked over. It was an article out of the pirate's code of conduct. It was Article Five, which read, "He who deserts Libertalia in time of battle will be punished with death." Nathan rubbed his chin. Libertalia was completely made up of pirates. Pirates were some of history's most treacherous thieves, murderers, double-crossers and outlaws. Did these pirates really follow the rules set out for them? Or did anarchy ensue when the pirates would be pirates? Nathan couldn't say he fully believed that the pirates obeyed the rules set out for them. Sure, onboard a ship pirates were some of the freest men of their time, and they would usually obey a captains orders. Most were fiercely loyal to their captain, but this wasn't just a single ship. This was a whole bunch of pirates who didn't know each other, and didn't know each other's captains. Sam walked over to the plaque. "Hmm…" he said, "I thought the whole point of this place was to have no rules," Nathan shook his head, "Well even pirate ships had rules," he said, "Can you imagine this place back in its heyday?" Sam said, "Shops open…that would've been a sight to behold!" They left the plaque and walked down the street. Soon they came to a staircase that led down to a lower area of town. At the bottom of the staircase was a large courtyard surrounded by crumbling buildings. There, in the middle of the courtyard, was a tall statue of the man that had started it all: Captain Henry Avery. He was still standing over Libertalia after all these hundreds of years. Nathan chuckled, "Captain Avery," he said, "I was wondering when you'd show up…" There he was, the pirate king himself, covered in mold. He looked up at him. The statue was about fifteen feet tall, standing on a pedestal taller than a man. He was holding out one hand, and his other was holding a sheathed cutlass. His posture evoked a look of power and majesty, even though he wasn't a king. He looked around the statue, and suddenly noticed a sigil that was painted on the other side of the statue's pedestal like graffiti. It was a skull and crossbones, and it was painted using red paint. It looked like it had been painted with blood, and maybe it had been. Nathan opened his journal and quickly sketched the sigil. "What's this sigil?" asked Nathan as Sam came over. "I saw a few of them when I was coming to find you," Sam replied. "So who's marking these places?" asked Nathan, "Is that another sigil?" Sam shrugged, "Not that I know of," he said Nathan looked at his sketch, "Maybe it was invaders?" he suggested, "I mean I'm sure these guys had a lot of enemies out here." Sam huffed, "That's a good point," he said. Nathan suddenly realized he had seen the sigil before. He got out his journal again and flipped back a few pages. Yes, there it was. It was the same sigil that he had seen with the pirate in the cave. Beside the words "No quarter for thieves," there had been this same sigil. The skull and crossbones, and when Nathan looked at the statue closer, he saw the three crosses slashed on the skull's forehead. He didn't mention it to Sam, though he had a feeling that there may have been either invaders, or maybe some of Avery's men mutinied on Libertalia itself. Either way, something was terribly wrong. Nathan looked around the small courtyard. He entered a building that looked extremely well-fortified. There was a large rusted iron gate that led to the entryway. Nathan kicked the door down, and it crashed onto the ground with an audible clang. It was the prison. He entered and walked into a main room, probably the guard's quarters. There was a desk with several incredibly hefty locks on it. Nathan then walked through an archway and into the main prison itself. There were about seven cells, each about the size of a small living room. Even here in the prison, where Nathan most expected it, there were no dead bodies. Nothing. Everything looked like it had been just left there. Most disturbing however, were the prison doors. Each of them had locks that looked broken, as if there had been a massive breakout. Nathan heard Sam yell over, "Hey Nathan! This way!" Nathan left the prison and jogged over. Sam beckoned for Nathan to come, and Nathan walked over. They entered a house and Sam led Nathan over to the far end. There was a bookshelf that had toppled over years ago, and it revealed an unusual part of the house. There was a tunnel that had been built through the ground, almost like a mineshaft. Nathan and Sam pushed the bookshelf away and entered. "This tunnel is unusual," Nathan said, "These tunnels look a lot rougher than the rest of the colony," Sam huffed, "Like they were built in a hurry," he said. They suddenly entered a room that was carved out. The walls were dirt, and supported by wooden planks. There were wooden support beams on the ceiling as well. "It looks like a hideout of some kind," Nathan said. "Yeah but who would they be hiding out from," Sam said, "Themselves?" They looked around the room a bit more, and then they noticed something very odd. There was a large table with seats that were all pushed out. There were even dishes still laid out on the table. The strange part was that there was a map of the commercial district on the wall. "Look Sam," Nathan said, "It's a map…It looks like a battle map. Look, there's arrows pointing to…the treasury. There's the tower." He looked at the map a bit more, "What were these guys up to?" he asked. Nathan looked further down into the room, and there was a separate chamber. It narrowed into a barracks with bunk beds lining the walls, and a rack full of cutlasses in front of each bed. There were about twelve beds each lined on either side of the wall. When Nathan came to the end of the hall, he saw it again. There was the mysterious sigil. The skull and crossbones with the three crosses. Sam, following behind Nathan, looked at it and said, "There's that symbol again…" Nathan nodded, "Yeah," he said, "You know, if that symbol was from an invading force, we wouldn't've found it in an underground hideout…" Sam nodded himself, "Yeah," he mused, "Well…Maybe there was trouble in paradise. Maybe a secret society? Or rebels?" "All definite possibilities," Nathan replied. The end of the hall was larger than the narrow bunking hall, and it was filled with sacks of grain and other rotten foodstuffs. The grain inside had turned to dust, and whatever had been edible had been eaten by rats long ago. Nathan looked around and he heard Sam say something he didn't quite hear. "What was that?" Nathan asked Sam. Sam looked at Nathan and replied, "Oh, no…I was just thinking to myself," "What about?" Nathan asked. Sam looked at the symbol thoughtfully and said, "Well, you know, you can start a civilization, or colony or whatever, but there's never a guarantee any of it will work. I mean look at the Aztecs, the Romans, the Greeks…The same thing must've happened here." Nathan nodded, "Well that's certainly true. I just want to know what exactly happened to Libertalia." Nathan walked over to the very end of the tunnel, which suddenly opened up. The tunnel ended, and he entered a natural cave room. At the center of the cave room was what looked like a well. Nathan thought for a moment. He noticed something extremely peculiar about this particular well: there was light coming from below. He saw a sturdy piece of wood, and he latched his grappling hook to it. Then he grabbed the rope, and carefully lowered himself down. When he did, he emerged out of the bottom of the well. He was dangling hundreds of feet off the ground. There was a tall cliff to his right, and a misty void beneath him. Somehow, the cave room he had been inside jutted out like a cantilever above the ground. He looked to his left, and saw more parts of the city. There was an entire level that they hadn't seen before. He called up to Sam, "Hey! There's a whole part of the city here!" He heard Sam yell back, "Really? Alright I'm coming down!" Nathan was able to swing back and forth and he jumped onto the flat roof of one of the buildings. He froze in his tracks when he heard raised voices coming from below. "Did anyone get word to Nadine?" asked one. It was a Shoreline mercenary. Nathan crouched down low to the ground. He couldn't see them, but he didn't know if they could see him. "Yeah," replied the other, "She and Rafe are coming here now." Nathan gritted his teeth. Now he would have to deal with Rafe too? He carefully looked for and marked his opponent, before creeping forward, as stealthily as he could. He couldn't tell how many men there were. Most of them were talking to each other, and some were just standing around, but they were standing attentively. He saw Sam swinging back and forth on his grappling hook. Nathan motioned for him to be quiet, he didn't know if even he had been too loud. Sam understood, and gave Nathan the OK, before hitting the roof as quietly as he could, though it still produced a louder sound than Nathan wanted. Sam crept over beside Nathan. "It's Shoreline," Sam said, "It looks like they haven't seen us." Nathan nodded, "Let's keep it that way," he said. He saw about three mercenaries all patrolling the homes next to them. There were large leaves growing on top of the roof they were on, and they hid underneath them. "Alright," Nathan said, "Just keep your head down." "I was about to tell you the same thing," Sam retorted. The building they were on top of was fairly small compared to the building the mercenaries were on. It looked like a huge multilevel complex, or living quarters of some kind. The building was very strangely shaped, and the roof sloped up and down. There were plenty of hiding spaces, but Nathan didn't like it. There were too many mercenaries, and they all looked like they were staring Nathan's way. Nathan waited until none of them were looking, then he jumped off the roof and onto the ground. Nobody had seen him. Sam jumped after a little while. They looked up at the wall, which was crumbling and had plenty of footholds. Nathan quietly started climbing the wall, until he got to an open windowsill. Suddenly he saw a mercenary standing right in front of him. Before the mercenary could yell out, Nathan grabbed him by the throat, and tossed him out of the window. He fell nearly two stories before he hit the ground, not moving. Nathan noticed that one of the mercenaries was coming down either to investigate, or simply change position. Nathan quickly climbed away from the window. He was sick and tired of having to evade these Shoreline idiots. He clambered to the very top of the complex, and then noticed something. The roof of the complex was only slightly higher than the ground. The complex was built almost on the edge of the cliff. The ocean was a faint mist far below, and it had been what Nathan dangled from when he went down the well, which was actually a large drainage pipe. When he got up on the roof, he suddenly heard a man yell, "There they are!" Nathan shouted, "Sam get down!" Suddenly there were bullets shooting from every direction. Fortunately, Nathan had a rifle, and he went prone, and saw a sniper taking aim at Sam. Nathan shot, and the sniper dropped. There were at least six mercenaries all in the jungle on the outskirts of the complex, and each of them shooting for all they were worth. "We have to get off the roof!" Nathan shouted. Sam and Nathan both jumped off the roof and hid behind a large rock. Suddenly a massive mercenary in body armor came around the corner of the rock. Nathan grabbed him by his helmet yanked it off. The man aimed at Nathan with his AK, but Sam quickly got behind the mercenary and smacked the butt of his pistol into the mercenary's head with a crack. The man fell. Nathan saw two of the mercenaries coming towards him, but he quickly dispatched them. After only forty-five more seconds of combat, the other two mercenaries were taken care of. The unit in this particular area wasn't so big after all. Sam looked at Nathan with a chuckle, still holding his pistol with both hands, "You alright?" Nathan asked, "Yeah," Sam replied, "A little winded…You?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah I'm fine." Nathan looked at the complex. The best comparison Nathan could give of the place was a town-house, but it was far bigger and more complex. He entered one of them. They were clearly living quarters, and some of them were almost completely intact. Still, no sign of any kind of life. No dead bodies. Walking through one of the homes, he looked out one of the windows that faced the cliff. The area in this part of the complex wasn't above the ocean, but it faced a narrow valley. The valley had a small river running through it that led into the ocean. Rising high above the other side of the river were tall orange cliffs that contrasted sharply with the overall grey rock that made up most of the island. While King's Bay was almost completely orange, Libertalia was almost completely grey. There were still houses standing on the cliff, though they looked like they had been put there by a landslide. They weren't all standing straight, some of them almost vertical, only hanging on by a thin margin. They looked at the area, it was more beautiful than Nathan could've imagined. They both kept on exploring, heading deeper into the island. This part of the village still just ran along the cliff-edge. They walked into one of the buildings when suddenly Nathan heard people talking. The voices were muffled, though Nathan could discern a voice. It was Rafe. He crept closer to the window. Rafe was talking to a mercenary on the building opposite him The window was open, and Nathan peeked just enough to see what was happening. There were two mercenaries, each talking to Rafe. "What do you mean they're not coming in?" Rafe asked. The first mercenary replied, "We can't make contact with them sir, they haven't called for half an hour." He saw Rafe nod with his eyes still half closed, an expressionless, cold face only made the eyes seem colder. "I need you to stay here and guard this building," Rafe said, "If Nate and Sam come through, they'll have to come through this building. If you see them, radio in. I want to talk to Nate in person." The mercenaries nodded, "Yes sir," they said in unison. Suddenly Rafe's walkie-talkie started ringing. He picked it up, "Hello?" Rafe said. "Yes…We don't know. Look Nadine, it's not like I can have eyes on every man guarding this place. You were in charge of where your men were deployed, not me…What do you mean? Of course not! Alright then, find a better spot. We'll need to review your units, these two men with me say they haven't even been able to contact unit 7B. Alright. I'll come. Just please think a bit more carefully where your men are placed this time." Rafe put the radio back and left. Nathan and Sam waited until they knew where Rafe was headed. Suddenly they heard a motor of some sort, and briefly caught a glance of a jeep plunging into the jungle. Well, this would be easy. They silently left the building, and climbed into the building with the two mercenaries. Climbing up to the window, Nathan tapped on the wall. The mercenary looked over, and walked to investigate. When he got up to the window, Nathan grabbed him, and threw him out. The other mercenary heard the commotion, and came with his pistol at the ready. Nathan saw the gun, and wrenched it out of the mercenary's hand, before throwing him out of the window as well. Sam looked at Nathan and chuckled, "Well so much for Rafe's protection," he said. Nathan laughed, "Come on," he said, "Let's get to the treasury."

After about an hour they came to what definitely looked like the richer area of Libertalia. Nathan and Sam looked around, and marveled at the huge white buildings, some looking like magnificent cathedrals, others like mansions that had fallen out of heaven itself. They entered one of them, a gigantic white mansion, beside which was another large white building that looked almost like a church. Nathan entered through a window, but even in this area there was an ornate golden chandelier above his head. The walls were gilded with gold, most of which were exquisite designs, and in the center of which was Henry Avery's insignia. It gave Nathan the chills every time he looked at it. After a short while, the hallway he was in opened up into the main entry. The entrance room was a massive room with incredible architecture. At the back of the room were two staircases that led to a balcony overlooking the entire room. There were diamond chandeliers, ornately carved marble decorations on the walls, but the wooden ceiling was rotten and parts of it had rotted away. The floor was made up of large stone blocks, and there were large beautifully carved archways leading to the next room. Still, despite all the elegance and richness of the mansion, there were vines and weeds everywhere. Parts of the room had dirt and mud piled in mounds, especially those underneath the parts of the roof that had been caved in. Even so, the place was magnificent, and would've been fit for the queen of England, once they had a massive clean-up of course. Nathan stared into the huge room, "Wow," he said admiringly, "Yeah I think we're definitely in the high-end district now." Nathan looked a bit closer, and he noticed a lack of residential furnishings. No, this wasn't a residential building at all. Sam looked around, "Looks like some sort of administration building," he said. Nathan nodded, "Yeah you're right," he said, "Maybe Libertalia had some sort of zoning committee." Sam chuckled, "Yeah," he said, "Maybe they paid taxes?" Nathan thought for a second, "That's a thought," Nathan said, "They built this place to be free and get away from the world, but what if this place ended up becoming the exact thing they were trying to run away from?" Sam nodded, "That's happened before in history," he said. There were golden vases that were tipped on the floor, still glinting in the sunlight that poured in from the ceiling. He walked over to one of the staircases. There was an entire tree that had grown near the bottom of the staircase. Its roots had cracked the bricks and forced themselves out through the walls. Nathan looked up the steps, but there was no need to go through. He walked further back into the building, which had almost turned into a jungle itself. There was a long corridor, overgrown with all manner of plants. On the floor was a decaying Persian rug, which would've been quite valuable in its day, but was now a moldy ruin, just like the rest of Libertalia. Suddenly, the corridor ended, and it opened into a massive open air courtyard. The doors that had opened into the courtyard had all rotted away, and Nathan walked right into the yard. The courtyard was square shaped, and it was covered in vegetation, though not as thoroughly as the rest of the area. The treasury was at the back of the courtyard, and large hallways on either side, held up by tall pillars of marble. The thing that was most noticeable about the courtyard wasn't the architecture itself, but what was at the center of it. There were huge piles of supplies mounded up. Overturned wagons, barrels, wood, stone, tables, crates, everything had just been heaped up. That still wasn't the most noticeable part of the courtyard. There, lying everywhere, were skeletons. The only ones they had yet come across. "Well I see our missing colonists," Sam said. Nathan winced. There were cannons, improvised barricades, it seemed like there had been some sort of siege in this place. "What happened here?" Nathan asked. "Some kind of battle," Sam replied. Nathan rolled his eyes, "Rhetorical question," he said. He quickly did a sketch of the bones in his journal. Each man looked a bit different. Some were clutching cutlasses, others still had their bony fingers on the triggers of rusted flintlocks. Others had no weapons at all. Nathan crouched down to look at one of the skeletons, "The real questions is who was fighting who…and why?" Nathan looked at one of the huge piles of supplies, it looked like some sort of desperate last stand had occurred here. "Hey Nathan!" Sam called. Nathan walked over. "What is it?" Nathan asked. Sam, hovering over a skeleton, replied, "It looks like some of these bodies were dressed fancy. More like soldiers." That was true. The skeleton Sam was looking at had a rusted breastplate locked around his torso, and a helmet less than a foot away from his skull. "So it was the colonists versus the soldiers…" Nathan said. Sam got up and pointed, "And if that's the treasury up there…" "Then it appears someone was trying to make a withdrawal," Nathan finished. "Yeah," Sam said, "Let's just hope they didn't succeed." Nathan was starting to wonder if the soldiers were the first pirates that had settled this place. What if these soldiers, or the first pirates, had brought other colonists with them, and then the first pirates ended up fighting with the colonists for some reason. Though he didn't have proof, it seemed like a pretty solid theory. He passed more and more dead bodies. There was one skeleton that was laying on a barrel, a cutlass through his ribcage. He walked over to the back of the courtyard, over to the treasury at the back. There, still flying, though almost tattered to bits, and faded, was Henry Avery's Jolly Roger. It was flapping gently in the breeze. He began jogging up the staircase into the treasury, a dozen dead skeletons sprawled over the steps. At the very top was the porch for the treasury, which was about the size of a city hall, and it looked like one too. He suddenly stopped in his tracks when he looked down. Painted on the porch, over seven feet wide, was the skull and crossbones with the three crosses slashed on it. 'No quarter for thieves…' Nathan thought to himself, 'What does that mean?' The doors to the treasury were missing, and Nathan and Sam walked right in. They were immediately taken back by it all. The entrance to the building was a massive hallway, and huge stone angel statues over sixteen feet tall lined the walls fifteen feet apart. The hallway ended, and the ceiling fell, a huge painting of the ocean at sunset in front of Nathan. He saw a huge pair of doors that were inlaid with gold. He pushed against them, and they gave slightly. "Hey," Nathan said, "Want to give me a hand with this?" Sam walked over, "Sure thing," he said. Sam put his weight to the door, "Gold and jewels just behind this door!" he said before they both shoved and pushed. With a crack, the doors flew open. They entered the room. It was huge, with shelves and chests and stone statues of the Founders of Libertalia all standing proudly over their treasure. Only, there was no treasure. The room was empty. Sam looked around, "its empty…" he said perplexed. "Course it is…" Nathan replied. "You think it was Rafe?" Sam asked. Nathan walked up to a table, "No…" he said touching it, "No. Nothing here's been touched for hundreds of years." There was a thick layer of dust covering everything. "Well," Sam said, "Search for clues?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah," he said, "Look for clues…" Nathan looked around the room. The walls were gilded with gold, and there were tall shelves and drawers all over the place. There were quite a few skeletons as well, most slumped over, some with cutlasses run through them. Nathan was beginning to have his suspicions about who won the fight. There was a tall statue of Henry Avery, but his head was gone. The floor and lower parts of the wall of the treasury were covered in dirt and vegetation, though no big trees, just winding vines and tall weeds ensnarling everything they touched. Suddenly Nathan stepped on something that didn't feel like the normal ground. He looked down. It was a huge picture frame, though the picture was covered in dirt. He knelt down and brushed the dirt away. It was a painting of founder Edward England, but the painting had been vandalized. The word, "Thief" had been cut into the painting with a knife. He looked up at the walls. There were paintings of the rest of the founders, Thomas Tew, Richard Want, Christopher Condent, Joseph Farrell, and the rest all had the word "Thief" scratched into their paintings. Nathan was betting that it was the colonists that had ended up winning the war, not the founders. He looked back at the ground and saw a skeleton clutching a chest. Hopeful, Nathan walked over, pried it off the dead man's cold, dead fingers, and opened it. The only thing glittering in the sun was the cloud of dust that left the chest. The pirates had taken everything with them. He looked and saw another drawer. Losing hope, he opened it. There was a note folded inside. It was a leger for the ship Manifest, that was hauling quite a load of treasure. It recorded 14,000 Spanish doubloons, 19,000 silver coins from India, and a solid gold statue of a horse and rider, weighing in at 500 pounds. There was a 50 pound bronze elephant statue, 100 iron spears from Spain, and 54 steel cutlasses from Portugal. To finish the list, there were fifty cannon balls, twelve horses, and four barrels of wine. "Old Manifest," Nathan said, "Lots of treasure." He folded the note into his journal as always, and meandered over to the side of the room with Captain Avery's headless statue. There, with a blank stare on his marble face, was Henry's head. Without a body, covered in moss on the floor. Nathan looked at it, "Hmm…Captain Avery," he said, "Well you've certainly seen better days. Not a good time to lose your head…" Suddenly he heard Sam yell, "Hey Nathan over here!" Nathan walked over, Sam was crouched on the ground, "Yeah?" he asked, "What'd you got?" Sam stood up, "Libertalia money," Sam said flipping a gold coin into Nathan's hand. Nathan looked at the coin. One the tails side was a pirate ship, and on the heads side was Henry Avery's sigil. "Wait," Nathan said, "This is Henry Avery's sigil…He must've melted down the gold and made his own currency." Sam, smiling said, "Yeah, so based on that, and the legers here on the shelves…The treasure was here!" Nathan looked around. The shelved held nothing but dust now, "But that leaves the bigger question," said Nathan, "Where is it now?" Nathan looked at the coin, and Sam rubbed his chin. "OK," said Sam, "So we know there was fighting outside…" "Yeah and inside," Nathan interrupted. "What," said Sam, Do you think the colonists stole it?" Nathan looked at the coin for several seconds. Then he turned and looked at Sam, finally understanding, "No…" said Nathan, "I think they were trying to reclaim what was theirs." Nathan pointed up to the paintings, "Look," said Nathan, "There's Avery…Tew…Their paintings are all marked with the word 'thief.' Not murderer, not tyrant…" "Thief…" Sam mused, "So by the time the colonists had busted in here, the treasure was already gone." "Yeah," said Nathan, "Because these guys," he pointed to the founder's paintings, "had already taken it for themselves." He threw up his hands, "Pirates will be pirates right?" Sam sighed, "Yeah, pirates will be pirates…" Nathan stared into the room. Where had they put it? Had they sailed off with it? Would they have to go to another continent to find the treasure? Sam was running out of time, Hector Alcazar had given him three months, but now there was less than one and a half left. Suddenly he heard Sam chuckle to himself. Nathan turned around. "What?" he asked. Sam smiled, "I know where they moved it," he said. Nathan took a step forward, "What?" he asked, "Where?" Sam pointed up to the ceiling. Nathan looked up. He suddenly realized the ceiling was decorated lavishly, with paintings of the founders and other decorations, but at the center of the ceiling was a map. He had never looked at the ceiling until now. It was a map of the entire island of Libertalia, and Nathan could plainly see the different regions. There was Saint Dismas Port, and there was the city they were inside now, which was names Saint Maries. "It's a map of Libertalia," said Nathan. Sam nodded, "Yes, now, follow the map to the other side of the island, there, you see that?" Nathan saw it was yet another city, completely separate from Saint Maries. It was named New Devon. "New Devon?" Nathan said, "Wait…Henry Avery was from Devon England." Sam nodded, "He sure was," he said. They both looked up to the painting of New Devon. It looked like it was fenced in by walls and a tall gate, but it was the inside of the walls that got Sam's attention. "Man," Sam said, "Those are some seriously large mansions…" Nathan looked closer, and noticed that painted next to each mansion, was a tiny sigil, "Each mansion has its own sigil," Nathan said, "Because that's where they lived," Sam replied. They both chuckled. Nathan turned and said, "What do you say we climb that watchtower huh? Get our bearings." Nathan pointed outside a massive hole in the ceiling. There was a watchtower beside the treasury tall enough to see over all of Libertalia. "New Devon, here we come!" Sam said with a gleam in his eye.

"Whoa," said Nathan, "Quite the crow's nest huh?" Nathan and Sam had reached the watchtower and climbed up to the very top. It was incredibly tall, and you could see over all of the massive mountains that made up the island. It was only at this vantage point that Nathan could truly appreciate the massive beauty of the island. The mountains were tall, but green and covered with mist and fog. There were waterfalls cascading down them, and he looked to see almost all of Saint Maries down at his feet. It was much larger than he originally thought. "There!" Sam said pointing east, "Just over the river." Nathan walked over and saw. Nestled between two mountain peaks was New Devon. He could only see three mansions, though he was sure there were more, as long as the colonists hadn't destroyed it all. Sam began climbing down the tower before Nathan, who took one last look at everything before he began walking down the staircase. "So," said Sam, "How long do you think it'll take for us to get to New Devon?" Nathan didn't get to answer. Suddenly there was a huge explosion. He heard Sam yell, "RPG!" Nathan knew who it was. They both began flying down the staircase. Another ear-shattering explosion, and the entire roof of the tower collapsed, destroying several staircases on top of it. Wood planks and beams smashed through parts above and below them. Nathan jumped down a flight, suddenly there was a huge bang. Nathan flew through the air, slammed into the wall, and then hit the floor. The shockwave from another RPG explosion had thrown him into the air. He groaned, unable to move for several seconds. "Nathan!" Sam said coming over, "Come on!" Sam helped Nathan up, and coming to his senses, Nathan began running. They weren't on the ground yet, still in a middle level of the tower. Suddenly there was an explosion far bigger than the others that detonated underneath the tower. The tower started to lean, and Nathan felt himself sliding. "Oh no!" Sam yelled, "Hang onto something!" There was a large crossbeam of wood and Nathan threw his grappling hook around it. He slid out of the tower, which had tipped over, and was now laying horizontal off the cliff-edge There was a cliff just in front of them, and the tower was now spanning the cliffs like a bridge. However, it wasn't about to stay there. Dangling off of the tower by the rope, Nathan saw several Shoreline mercenaries standing on the cliff edge in front of him. Three of them were armed with RPGs, and all three of them shot at Nathan. The tails of the RPGs whizzed past him. "Quick!" Sam shouted, "Climb the rope!" Nathan climbed up the rope, bullets hissing past him as fast as death could run. He reached the wooden beam that stuck out of the walls. It cracked and was about to fall off the tower. Nathan grabbed his grappling hook and suddenly the wall began to crack and fall. The tower, spanning the cliffs, was beginning to crumble to pieces. The wall of the tower had become the floor, and the already structurally unsound walls couldn't handle the strain. To make matters worse, the Shoreline mercenaries were bombarding the tower with RPG rounds. An explosion blew up dangerously close to Nathan. A huge part of the tower fell over five hundred feet before smashing into the ground far below Nathan and Sam. He jumped across a gap in the floor. "Don't slow down! Don't stop!" Nathan yelled. Crack! Snap! Bang! The tower continued to disintegrate. Nathan felt the floor beneath him crack and fall. Just before the chunk broke off, he leapt up to the chunk in front of him. He hung by a single arm, before shoving himself up and back onto his feet. The other cliff was almost in front of them. Sam reached it, and beckoned for Nathan to hurry. Suddenly an RPG blast blew the rest of the tower off. Nathan fell, but Sam caught him just in time. He pulled with all his might, before Nathan stood on solid ground once again. "Thanks…" Nathan said. Without warning a hail of bullets began raining down on them. They took cover behind the remains of the tower. The door to the tower was just ahead. "Forget them!" Sam yelled. They bravely rushed past the bullets and the mercenaries "Help me get the door open!" Sam shouted. On the count of three, they slammed their bodied into the door, and they blew open. They ran on and reached another building. They went up to the door, pistols at the ready. Nathan cracked it open, and suddenly a grenade appeared at his feet. "Get away!" Sam shouted. Nathan leapt back, and the grenade exploded. For a few seconds Nathan couldn't hear anything but an intense ringing sensation in his ears. He felt confused before he regained his senses. He was on some wooden planking. Suddenly the planking snapped, and he began sliding down a muddy slope. The slope suddenly ended and dropped off. There was a building just in front, half fallen off the cliff. Just before he dropped to his death, Nathan jumped and grabbed the bricks of the building. He could just barely see Sam shooting at several mercenaries. "Sam!" he yelled, "Go get 'em!" He saw Sam turn and look at him, before he disappeared. He climbed up the building. Suddenly Sam went quiet. Either he had been killed or he had fought off all the mercenaries. He saw a window just above him. He climbed up and vaulted into the window, "Sam!" he yelled, "I'm-" Suddenly somebody punched him viciously in the face. Before he could recover, the person grabbed his arm and slammed it down onto the windowsill, knocking his pistol out of his hand. The person then kicked him into the wall. Nathan saw who it was. It was Nadine. "OK," he said holding out his hand, "Wait, wait!" Nadine didn't listen, instead she flipped him onto the ground on his back. Nadine pulled her pistol out of her holster and walked beside Nathan. "Hey Nadine," Nathan said, "Great to see you again." Nadine forcefully put her boot on Nathan's chest. "Ow!" Nathan said, "OK, truce! Truce!" Nadine smiled and pointed her pistol at Nathan's head. "Are you always this clever?" Nadine asked. Nathan chuckled, "I have my moments." He said. "Yes," said Nadine, "You and your brother have proven yourselves to be the more capable treasure hunters on the island. Hm. Shame we're not on the same side…" Nathan looked at Nadine, "Hey, well…There's still time…" Nadine scoffed, "Trust a Drake? I'm not falling for that again." Nadine still kept her foot on Nathan's chest, but she cocked her pistol, "Hey, Nadine wait, wait!" She took aim. Suddenly Sam jumped down from a hole in the ceiling above. Nadine fell down, but she recovered with lightning speed and kicked Sam in the face. Nathan picked up her pistol and aimed, but Nadine charged, and she and Nathan crashed into the wall, which broke apart. They tumbled down a sloped roof before falling and crashing through the ceiling of another level of the building. They hit the floor of the room. Slightly dazed, neither Nathan nor Nadine attacked. Nadine saw her pistol, but it fell through a hole in the floor. She tried to grab it but it was too late. Slowly getting up, Nathan grunted, "Well that was…a bit rougher than expected," he said. Nadine began to get up herself, "Alright," Nathan said, "I'll just uh…See myself out." Nadine got up to her full height. "After everything…" she said, "You think I'm just going to let you walk away?" Sam dropped through the ceiling. He glared at Nadine, "That'd be the wise thing to do." He said in a low voice. Nadine huffed and began circling the room, Nathan and Sam circling with her, "Ah come on Nadine, really?" Nathan said not wanting another fight. "I mean we know you're tough and all but there's two of us." Nadine shook her head, "You don't think my men are on their way here right now? All I have to do is buy some time." She smiled, "And that's if I don't finish you myself," she said. The three of them squared off. Sam attacked first, landing a punch to Nadine's face, but Nadine kicked savagely, driving Sam away. Nathan tried to attack, but Nadine was far too quick. She kicked Nathan in the face, before grabbing him by the throat and driving him onto a table. Forcing his head down, she punched him repeatedly. "I'm tired of this island!" Nadine shouted, "I'm tired of your brother!" Nathan tried to escape, but Nathan smacked her knee into Nathan's chest, "And I'm tired of you!" she finished. "Oh no you don't!" Sam shouted. Sam tried to attack, but Nadine slammed her elbow into Sam's temple. Nathan tried to help, but she kicked him onto the ground. "Agh…" Nathan said trying to get up, "How does she do that?" Nadine had Sam in a corner, and she was beating him to a pulp. "Nathan!" Sam yelled. Nathan ran over, and picked Nadine up, before slamming her into the wall. Nadine brought her elbow down hard on Nathan's shoulder, and Nathan felt the bone pop out of place. Nadine went to punch Nathan in the face, but he dodged, and Nadine punched Nathan in his dislocated shoulder, setting it back in place with a snap. Nathan tried to kick her, but she kicked him instead, once again kicking him out the window. Nathan was able to grab the windowsill, and while Nadine was busy with Sam, Nathan quickly jumped up the wall of the building, then he entered the upper level. He could see Nadine and Sam battling just below him. He jumped, "Nadine!" he shouted before falling directly onto Nadine. The force of his impact destroyed the floorboards. They fell down until they hit the ground. The cliff edge was only a few yards in front of Nathan's face. He saw Nadine's pistol in front of him. He weakly crawled to grab it, but Nadine walked over and kicked him in the gut. Nathan went into the fetal position, but Sam lunged for the pistol and grabbed it before Nadine could get it first. "You're fast," said Sam, "But not that fast." He pointed the pistol at Nadine. "Alright," Nathan said, "Just forget about her. Come on we gotta get out of here before they…" As if on cue, several Shoreline mercenaries came around the corner, along with Rafe Adler. Sam grabbed Nadine by the throat and holding her, he put the pistol to her head. She held her arms up. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Nathan said, "Everybody just…" Wearing a black t-shirt, Rafe stood there, still with hair slicked back, still eyes half-closed. Still a smirk on his face. He stood there with a pistol in hand, "Well this is interesting," he said in a nonchalant tone of voice, "Nate…" he cocked his head, "Samuel." Sam stood there, pressing the cold metal of the pistol into Nadine's scalp. "Put your guns down!" Sam demanded, "All of you!" A few tense moments passed. "No." Rafe said calmly. "Rafe," said Nadine, "This guy's on edge." Rafe scoffed, "Oh don't worry about him Nadine, these guys don't kill anyone in cold blood it's just not their style." Sam glared at Rafe, "You willing to bet her life on that!?" he said in a way Nathan didn't like at all. "Go ahead then," Rafe said, "Shoot her!" "Sam…" Nathan said. "I die you both die," Nadine said. "So be it!" Sam growled. Rafe took a step forward, "Not another step!" Sam shouted. Smirking, Rafe said, "You mean…" he took a step forward, "Like this?" "Sam! Put the gun down!" said Nathan. "I warned you," Sam said, "Do it!" shouted Rafe. Nathan lunged for the gun, which shot, but didn't hit anyone. "Hold your fire!" Rafe shouted to the mercenaries, "Don't shoot!" he looked at Nathan, "Put the gun down." Nathan threw the pistol down on the ground. "It's done," said Nathan, "OK? It's done." Nadine crouched and picked up her pistol. She looked at Rafe with hatred in her eyes, "Don't worry Nadine," she mocked, "It's not their style." Rafe shrugged, "What can I say I didn't think he had it in him." He said. Rafe smiled and walked over to Sam. He chuckled, but definitely not in a friendly way, "Sam!" he said, "Samuel. You OK?" Rafe brushed some dust off of Sam's shirt. "I guess you knew this moment was coming huh?" Rafe smacked his pistol over the bridge of Sam's nose. Sam fell to the ground. "Hey!" Nathan said, "Come on man. You already got us. Take it easy." Rafe pointed his pistol at Nathan's head. Nathan decided to try and negotiate. "Come on now you're a businessman," said Nathan, "Let's just…work out a deal." Rafe nodded, eyes still half closed, "Oh, a deal," he said, "Oh yeah, I'd love to hear what you had in mind." Rafe walked over and savagely kicked Sam in the forehead. Sam coughed, eyes closed in agony. "Go ahead I'm listening," Rafe said. Nathan helped Sam up, "Alright look," Nathan said, "You want to find Avery's treasure? We can help you find it." Rafe nodded, "And in exchange I let you live?" "Yes," Nathan replied, "That…and a small cut." Rafe laughed and looked at Nadine, "The guts of this guy!" he said. "Just enough to get him his freedom OK?" Nathan said. Rafe looked confused. "His freedom?" he asked through narrowed eyes. Sam stepped forward, a desperate look in his eye, "Nathan…" he said not quite looking at him. "Yeah," said Nathan, "He did hard time, our time. And the guy who broke him out, Hector Alcazar…he owes him a lot of money." Nathan didn't notice Sam's face. Sam was looking at the ground, looking as if somebody he loved had just died. "Whoa," Rafe said waving his arm, "What in the world are you talking about Nate? Hector Alcazar died in a shootout in Argentina like ten months ago." He chuckled, "I'm the one that got Samuel out." Nathan's eyes narrowed. Had he heard right. He looked at Sam. "Wha?" he said. Looking at all of this, Rafe chuckled, "Ohhhhhh…" he said. Rafe turned around, then looked back at Sam, "Wow," he said, "What did he tell you?" he said looking at Nathan. Still smirking, Rafe looked at Sam and said in a scolding tone of voice, "Sam…What kind of story did you cook up? Alcazar? Really? You lied? You lied to your baby brother?" "We're wasting time!" Nadine shouted from behind. "Just a second!" Rafe snapped. Rafe paused, then sighed. He looked at Nathan, "Thing is Nate," he said, "I never stopped looking for Avery's treasure. I just kept running into these dead ends." He laughed, "You know…And then I hear that our dear old Samuel Drake, an authority on Avery, is alive, and somewhat well. There was no breakout. I bribed the prison warden, and your brother just waltzed out of the front gate. He spent the last two years tracking down the second Saint Dismas cross. And you know what?" he grinned, "He did it all with me." "No," Nathan said refusing to believe it, "No that's a lie." Rafe chuckled and turned around, "Not that story…," he said, "Sam? Care to refute?" Sam couldn't look Nathan in the eye. He stood there for several seconds, "Nate…" he said. "Aw Sam…" Nathan said taking a step back, "No, no!" Sam walked over to Nathan, "Listen," he said, "Avery's treasure is ours, it's always been ours!" he tried to put his hand on Nathan's shoulder but Nathan shoved him away, "No!" Nathan shouted, "I gave up my life for you!" He tried to say something else but he couldn't speak. Rafe laughed and clapped his hands together, "Hey Nate," he said, "if it's any consolation he duped me too. He pulled a Houdini on me, he brought you and that old man back into the mix and I'm not going to lie Sam," he said looking at him, "That really ticked me off. But you know…All behind us now…" Sam glared at Rafe, "You don't deserve it." He said looking at him, his fists clenched. Rafe scoffed, "You do?" he asked, "Last I checked we're all a bunch of thieves digging around where we shouldn't." Nadine stepped forward. "Rafe," she said. Rafe turned around, "One way or another end it. Or I will." Rafe looked at her, then he turned around and looked at Sam and Nathan. "Well you heard the lady," he said. He pointed his pistol at Sam but Nathan intervened, "Hey!" he said, "You miss that clue and you can kiss that treasure goodbye. Hey you said it yourself. You just keep running into dead ends. Why don't you face it Rafe. You need us." Rafe just stood there, his eyes narrow, his pistol pointed directly at Sam's forehead. He didn't answer. He just kept standing there. "Yeah you're right." He said. He lowered his pistol. Nathan looked at him. "Well you're half right." He said. "I just need Sam." Rafe held up his pistol and pointed it at Nathan's forehead. "Rafe! Rafe! Don't Rafe! Stop!" Sam shouted. Rafe pulled the trigger, but Sam stepped in front of Nathan. Suddenly Nathan felt himself falling down the cliff. He couldn't tell if Sam was alive or dead. Suddenly he hit the cliff and he couldn't feel anything else. The last thing he remembered was hitting water.


	12. Chapter 12: The Brothers Drake

Chapter 12

The Brothers Drake

Nathan couldn't feel anything. He knew he was wet, but he had washed up on shore. He was subconsciously aware of footsteps coming towards him. He thought he heard a voice, "Oh…Oh no…Nate! Nathan!" It wasn't Sam's voice though. He tried to open his eyes. He looked up into the person's face. The person's long blonde hair was over her face. It couldn't be. The person dragged Nathan onto dry ground. "Elena…" Nathan whispered, before he fell unconscious again.

The moon shone down on the sprawling mansion. Nathan looked at it. Sam cut the motorcycle's engine and it stopped its buzzing. One thing was for sure, this 500cc engine was quite powerful. Nathan sighed. At least Sam would have a vehicle with him while he had his new job. He was still trying to swallow the fact that he would have to spend an entire year away from him. At least he'd have his mother's things…so long as they could get it quietly. "Well," said Sam, "There it is." Nathan raised an eyebrow, "Who lives here anyway?" he asked. Sam shrugged, "I have no idea," he said, "But this is the address. I've been scoping this place out the past few days. Nobody's home." Nathan sighed. He still didn't feel good about this. Their dad had sold the papers and files, so the 'it was ours to begin with' logic didn't work anymore. Sam hid the motorcycle behind a bush and the two boys climbed the brass gate to get to the other side. Whoever lived here hadn't equipped a security alarm. "And here we are," said Sam spreading out his arms. Nathan was in awe. "This place is humongous!" he said, "It looks like some kind of haunted mansion." Sam chuckled, "Well let's hope it's not haunted tonight…" he said. Nathan looked at it. The building was indeed humongous, and it had a sloping roof, many windows and gables, and the walls were made of stone. "Where do we even start?" Nathan asked. Sam shrugged, "Well by getting in…Then we can take the grand tour." They began walking up the front steps, "Does this place have an alarm?" Nathan said beginning to doubt his previous thoughts, "Well find a way in that doesn't involve breaking a window…" Nathan nodded. They began looking around the extensive property, trying to find a way inside. At this point, Nathan didn't care whether the people at the orphanage were looking for him or not, he wanted to find his mother's papers. It was the last thing Nathan had left of her. He didn't even remember her face. Only Sam did, but Sam didn't talk about her frequently. Nathan couldn't blame him. After all, Sam had watched her commit suicide, and he couldn't do anything to help. His father and mother had been arguing terribly, then one night, a regular argument became a terrible fight. Nathan had only been a baby, but Sam was five years old. They yelled and screamed, then his dad hit her. He had stormed out of the room, and their mother had been left inside the room, sobbing. Sam hid in a closet away from his father, then he heard a gunshot. When he rushed in to see what had happened, his mother was lying there dead. "Hey," said Sam, "There's an open window." Nathan walked over and looked. The window was just above them, sitting atop a part of the roof. Sam rubbed his chin, then jumped up to a slanting part of the roof. He helped Nathan up, and then they both entered the window. Sam took out a flashlight and switched it on. Suddenly, huge piles of items hidden under canvas sheets were lit up. Nathan was startled. There was everything from old furniture, to clay pots that looked like they came from Egypt. "Wow…" Nathan said, "Spooky." Sam looked at Nathan, "Here," he said tossing him the flashlight, "I brought a spare." Nathan grabbed the flashlight and looked around. "So are we looking for a particular room?" Nathan asked. "Just keep an eye out for any books, journals or research papers." Nathan shined his flashlight on a six foot tall statue that looked like some sort of Hindu idol. There were crates from New Delhi India, Tokyo Japan, Cairo Egypt, and many other cities. Some were filled with magnificent artifacts and pieces of antiquity. It distracted Nathan to no end. Each crate was more interesting than the last, but he knew he had to stay with the plan. They were here for a single item. There was an old bronze telescope, old Civil War supplies, and rare books. This was the ultimate attic treasure hunt. Suddenly he heard Sam call, "Eh…It's not going to be in this attic. This is just old artifacts and camping equipment." Nathan called back, "It's like the storage room in a museum!" After a little bit he heard Sam, "Here we go…Hey Nathan down here!" Nathan walked over. It was the trapdoor that led down to the lower level. Nathan dropped down. "So how will we know what it looks like?" Nathan asked. "Don't you remember?" Sam asked, "She always used that off-white leather binding." "Yeah I know but it's such a large place," said Nathan, "Like finding a needle in a haystack…" They rummaged around for at least ten minutes, before Nathan opened a small white box. Inside the box was an off-white leather notebook." "Hey Sam!" Nathan called, "I think I found one!" "For real?" Sam replied. He flipped the notebook over. It was titled, "Relics of Japan; by Kenichiro Nanba." Nathan sighed, "Forget it," he said, "Not one of Mom's." "Well you got the right idea though," said Sam, "Keep looking." Nathan looked around when he saw something. Sitting on top of a box was a beautifully decorated vase that looked like it had come straight out of Ancient China. "Hey Sam," he said shining his light on the vase, "Call me crazy but I think this is a Ming Dynasty vase." Sam walked over to it and shrugged, "Oh come on Nathan," he said, "Who in their right mind would just leave a Ming Dynasty vase just sitting around like that?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah it's probably a knockoff of some kind," Nathan said. Sam nodded, "Still a cool looking vase though…" They found nothing else in the room. Nathan saw another door, and he entered. This room was different from the rest. There were still piles of old things, but there was a bed, and a dresser drawer. It was somebody's bedroom. There were old movie posters on the wall, and biplanes hanging from the ceiling, as well as several different antique toys on the floor. Sam walked over to some of the boxes on the floor. "Hey," he said, "Do these boxes remind you of anything?" Nathan huffed, "Every place we ever lived," he replied. He sighed, "I remember Dad always like, 'why bother unpacking we're just going to move again in a month." Sam sighed himself, "Yep…" he replied. They left the room, and saw another door. Nothing to lose, they entered. Inside the room was something far different than any of them other rooms. There was a huge Egyptian sarcophagus. It looked like it was made of solid gold, with engraved hieroglyphics on it. The face of the sarcophagus looked like the face of the pharaoh himself. Nathan looked at it. Sam walked past it, totally convinced that it wasn't real. Nathan reached out and touched it. It wasn't a fake. "Sam," Nathan said, "This is real…" Sam walked over, his eyes narrowed, "What is this place?" he asked. While he had been around the property, Sam had never been inside, and he was beginning to wonder just what else was inside this strange place. Inside the room were other strange sarcophagi, and idols that would've been placed with the dead. Hindu idols, and just beside the Egyptian sarcophagus was a Roman sarcophagus, Nathan reckoned from the third or fourth centuries. There was another sarcophagus, Etruscan, which were the ancestors of the Romans. "This place is like a museum!" Sam said. Nathan chuckled, "You think they have a dinosaur wing?" "Wouldn't surprise me," Sam replied. Propped up against the wall was a set of armor. It looked like it had belonged to a samurai. Nathan looked at the boots. He wondered how they could walk in them without getting their ankles broke. Nathan saw a staircase that led down. Curious, he walked down them, Sam following. Instead of finding priceless treasures, instead there were simply clothes, and a washing machine. Nathan was bewildered by it all. He couldn't tell if this was a house or a museum. There was no theme in it! He saw several maid outfits beside the dryers, and adjacent to the washing room was a wine cellar. Nothing in either of the rooms. He was about to leave when Sam tapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Hey Nathan who am I now?" He looked to see Sam wearing what looked like a broad brimmed safari hat. Nathan shrugged, "I'm David Livingstone, come on!" Nathan shook his head. They left the room and went down a hallway. After opening a door they entered what looked like the kitchen. There was a stove and a countertop. Aside from some food there was nothing on it. It was then that Nathan realized that this was just a house, not a museum. He couldn't imagine having this much history in a single house. Even so, the kitchen seemed entirely normal, if not a bit big. There was all of the normal items, a microwave, a coffee maker, an oven. Connected to the kitchen was a fireplace, with two armchairs surrounding it. The fire had burned down into glowing embers, but it still had a friendly look to it with bookshelves on either side of the hearth. They were all books of history and biography. Nathan saw a large, grand looking globe beside one of the armchairs. Nathan walked over and spun it. "So where are we going?" asked Sam. Nathan turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Well if you could go anywhere in the world," said Sam, "Where would you pick?" Nathan thought for a moment. Anywhere? Several ideas shot through his head. The Middle East, the Himalayas, or the Amazon, but instead he spun the globe, and landed his finger on "India!" Nathan said. Sam laughed, "Yeah we'll visit the Taj Mahal." He said. Nathan thought for a bit longer, "How about the Soviet Union?" he said. Sam chuckled, "Might be a tad difficult to get in," he said. Nathan spun the globe again. His finger landed on England, "Sure would be cool to see Windsor Castle," Nathan said wistfully. With one last spin Nathan landed on Brazil. Sam did a thumbs up, "Now you're talking!" he said, "All kinds of undiscovered places in the rainforest." "And all kinds of tribes with poison darts," Nathan finished. Nathan walked over to the door to leave the room, but before he did he saw another set of armor. This set looked Roman. He took the helmet and put it on his head. When Sam saw it he laughed, "Hail Caesar!" he said. "Hey if you get a hat I want a hat!" Nathan said. They left the room and entered the gigantic dining room. The table was long and made of oak. The table was shining, and above it was a sparkling diamond chandelier, with over twenty five candles set in it. Nathan was in awe, "Wow," he said, "This table's almost as big as the one in the orphanage dining hall. I bet the food here was better…" Sam ran his finger against the smooth, waxed oak, "I bet they threw some great parties here," Sam said. "Judging by the artifacts they certainly had the money for it," Nathan said. "It looks like it's been a while since the last one though…" Sam said. The hall next to the dining room had some particularly interesting artifacts. There was a terra cotta warrior from China, and old flintlock rifles that went back to the French and Indian War. "I wonder if they still work," Sam said. There was yet another set of armor in the room. "Hey Sam check out this crazy helmet." Nathan took off his Roman centurion helmet and put on the new helmet, which had two tall horns on it, "Is that a Viking helmet?" Sam asked, "Come on," said Nathan, "You know Viking helmets didn't have horns. It's Persian." Sam shrugged, "My bad," he said. When they left the hall, they came to what Nathan figured was the main room of the house. Probably the main entrance room. At the doorway were two sets of armor. There was a set of French Medieval armor, and another from a Germanic barbarian. He saw the main door, which was surprisingly small, about the size of a normal door. Some of the doors from room to room were larger than the main entrance. He looked to see at least a dozen pieces of mail sitting below the mail slot. Nobody had picked them up for at least a week. He walked back to follow Sam down another hallway. There was a small table in the hallway with a magazine sitting on it. It was the Adventure Life magazine, and on the cover was an old woman, holding a gold statue from a tomb in Ancient China. At the end of the hall was a large sun room. There were flowers and plants, with a table and chairs in the center. Moonlight lit up the room. There was a stack of books on the table, including one of Sam's favorites. "Hey Sam," Nathan called, "They got your favorite book here," "Really?" asked Sam, "Which one?" Nathan replied, "A general history of the most notorious pirates." Sam scoffed, "Yeah," he said, "More of a made-up history. Even the author's name is fake. There were no journals inside the room, so they left. Nathan and Sam made their way back to the main hall. Nathan saw yet another set of armor, with the most interesting helmet yet. It was the helmet of a Japanese Shogun, and it looked just as impressive as the rest of the armor, which was holding a katana in its metal glove. "Nice helmet," Sam said. He looked around and saw an old Polaroid camera. It had a sticker on it from Arcadia Bay, Oregon. Sam picked it up. "Wow," he said, "Hey look it still works….Come here." Nathan walked over and Sam pointed the camera up to take a selfie. "Big smile!" he said. He snapped the picture and it printed. Sam gave it to Nathan, "Don't lose it," he said. Nathan smiled and shook the picture to cool it off. The color came in and Nathan put it in his pocket. He meandered around the room until he saw a large desk. It looked like the desk from an office in the 1800s. There was a green leather chair and other office tools. There was another small, white box underneath the desk. Nathan pulled it out. He opened the lid. Inside the box were their mother's files. Cassandra M. He felt a massive wave of excitement flow through him. "Sam!" he said beckoning him to come. "What you got something?" Sam asked. Nathan showed him the files and journals. Sam took them as if they were the most valuable treasure in the entire mansion. He laughed with excitement, elated that he had found them. He went off to look through them. He looked back in the box, and saw a large white book. The initials CM were written on the book. Nathan flipped through a few pages, looking at each thing, then a paragraph caught his eye. It read, "Riches of paradise." Nathan raised an eyebrow. Riches of paradise? What did that mean? Nathan read the paragraph his mother had written, "Evelyn bought a 1st edition copy of A General History of Pirates from a collector, along with a stack of 18th century documents. Along with them I found a very intriguing letter from one Joseph Burnes, the first-mate of pirate captain Henry Avery. He hints of the vast treasures of Avery's. What else could the riches of paradise refer to? He sent this letter from prison. He clearly didn't have the treasure with him. So where is it? Need to trace it back to the source. Avery's attack on the Gunsway." The next page was all about Captain Henry Avery and the Gunsway. "Whoa…" he said under his breath, "Henry Avery…Gunsway heist…" Sam looked over at Nathan, "Well what do you got there?" Nathan shook his head, "I've never seen this before," he said. Sam looked at it, "Yeah neither have I. That's definitely mom's handwriting." Suddenly, a light switched on. There was a very old and thin woman looking at them. She was holding a pistol in her bony hands, "Put up your hands," she said in a hollow voice, "Slowly." Her hair was in a small bun, and her face was wrinkled and sunken. She was wearing a black sweatshirt, and she didn't look happy at all. Sam held up his hands and put Nathan behind him, "Hey, hey, hey, there's no need for that," he said. "What is he holding?" the old woman said pointing at Nathan. "Hey you keep your gun on me." Sam said. "Give me my journal," the woman demanded. She coughed, and her hands were trembling. Sam nodded. "I'm sorry Nathan," he said taking the journal. He handed the woman his mother's journal, and the woman sat down. "So what now?" Sam asked. "Now we wait," said the woman, "for the police." Still pointing the gun at Sam, she looked at them. Sam smiled and said nervously, "Yeah you really don't want to deal with that headache…" he started moving towards the door, "Stop!" the old woman said cocking the pistol. "I really don't want to shoot you." Sam still kept himself in front of Nathan, "Come on lady it was no harm, no foul." The woman, still pointing the pistol replied, "We all must face the consequences of our actions. Hmm?" Sam sighed, "Then…at least let him go," he said. "I just brought him down here so he could see our mom's stuff. That's it. He had nothing to do with this." The woman's eyes widened. "What?" she asked. "I'm telling you this is all on me." Said Sam. "No," the woman said, "Your mother's…stuff?" Sam looked confused, "Yeah," he said, "That journal…It was our mom's." The woman lowered her pistol slightly, and she smiled weakly. "Oh," she said, "Your Cassandra Morgan's boys?" Sam's hands were still up, "Uh…Yeah," he said, "I'm Sam Morgan, and this is Nathan Morgan…" The woman sighed and coughed, before sitting back in her chair, looking extremely relieved, "Oh Lord," she said, "I could've shot you!" The old woman put the gun down beside her on the table. Still breathing hard, she took a cigarette out of her pocket and lit it with a diamond shaped lighter. Nathan stepped forward, "You knew our mom?" he asked hopeful. The old woman nodded, "Yes," she said, "as I'm sure you noticed, I'm a collector of sorts. My name is Evelyn Greene." "A collector?" Sam said, "That's a major understatement." Evelyn chuckled, which ended in a series of coughs. Not hard, but not healthy sounding at all. "So mom was, like, your translator?" asked Nathan. Evelyn took a drag on her cigarette and looked at Nathan as if he had said something incredibly stupid. "Your mother…she was the most brilliant historian I have ever known." Nathan's eyes widened. He had always thought of his mother as a sad victim of his father, not a brilliant historian. Evelyn put the journal on her lap, "We could've accomplished so much together," she said, "But then her depression…I'm sorry." Sam waved and shook his head, "Ah, it's alright," he said, "It happened a long time ago." Evelyn turned several pages and looked at it. "Of all her discoveries," she said with reverence, "This would've been her crowning achievement." Nathan and Sam stepped forward, wanting to know. "Sic Parvis Magna," Evelyn said. "Greatness from small beginnings," Nathan said, "That was Sir Francis Drake's motto." Sam chuckled, "Yeah Latin and historical figures…those were our dinner conversations. We were a uh…weird family." Evelyn smiled a bit, before she said, "Did she ever tell you her theories regarding Sir Francis Drake and his heirs?" Nathan and Sam looked at each other, confused, "Sir Francis Drake didn't have any heirs," Nathan said. Evelyn leaned forward, "Uh-huh," she said, "That's what history tells us…But your mother and I believed otherwise." She suddenly sighed and looked like she was remembering old things she would've rather kept locked away, "Learning that old pirate's secrets is just one more adventure I'll have to let go," she took another drag on her cigarette, the smoke fading into the air like the old woman in many ways. "There's a lot I have to let go…" Evelyn looked at the boys and smiled, "Forgive me," she said, "Ramblings of an old woman. My family was tired of me going on adventures and risking my life and…" she sighed. "Here," she said. She took the journal and held it out for Nathan to take. "It is as much yours as it is mine," Evelyn said with a smile. "Who knows?" she said, "Maybe you will one day finish what she started." Suddenly Nathan and Sam heard sirens blaring, several police cars pulled into the drive. Sam nervously looked at Evelyn and pointed out the window, "So uh…" he said, "We're off the hook right?" Evelyn chuckled, "I'll handle the police," she said. She put her cigarette out. "You found your way in," she said, "I trust you can see yourselves out?" Sam nodded She tried getting up out of the chair, looking as if it pained her very much. She winced as she got up onto her weak and wobbly legs. Nathan extended his hand and helped her up. Evelyn smiled and put her hand on Nathan's shoulder, "Thank you," she said. "Alright come on Nathan," said Sam. They were walking away when suddenly the woman gasped and held her chest. She moaned and her eyes closed, "Are you OK?" Nathan asked. Suddenly the woman exhaled sharply and fell to the ground. Sam's eyes were wide with fear, "Oh no, no, no, no!" he said. Sam got onto the ground, "Hey!" he said, "Hey!" he checked Evelyn's pulse. There was nothing. She was dead. "Sam?" Nathan said, his face pale. Suddenly the police starting banging on the door. "Ma'am?" he heard, "This is the police!" Sam took Nathan's arm to leave, "Wait Sam we have to do something!" Nathan said. "No, we have to get out of here!" Sam urged. "We can't just leave her here!" Nathan begged, "There's nothing we can do for her!" Sam said. "If the cops find us here then they'll think that we..." Suddenly the police began banging harder, "Ma'am!?" shouted one of the cops. "Nathan!" Sam shouted. Nathan jumped, and looked into his brother's eyes with terror. "We gotta go! Right now!" Nathan left the woman, and ran up the stairs. Suddenly the police broke down the door. "Window! Come on!" Sam yelled. They both jumped out the window and landed on a stone pathway. Suddenly they were lit up in flashlight beams. "Hey!" he heard an officer shout, "You there! Don't move!" Sam and Nathan made a break for it. He heard somebody yell behind him, "We have eyes on two burglar suspects, on foot, one juvenile, one adult, both male." They ran through the yard until two cops blocked their path. "You two there! Get on the ground, hands on your head!" Nathan and Sam turned around as fast as they could. Suddenly one of the officers grabbed Nathan. "Freeze!" he shouted. Nathan squirmed out of his grip and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. They ran down a pathway, Nathan following behind Sam. "You're only making this worse for yourself!" shouted a police officer behind Nathan. Nathan ignored them and bolted for the main gate. "They're getting away!" an officer yelled. "This is your last warning! Get down, hands on your head!" They both jumped onto the gate, and clambered over. "Get on the bike now!" Sam yelled, "Come on!" Nathan jumped on the bike and they screeched away before the police could give chase.

Sam gently drove the bike up under the large suspension bridge into the city. The river was in front of them, and the city beyond that. They could hear the cars driving over the bridge above their heads. Sam sighed and turned the motorcycle off. "I'd say we're clear…" he said, "How about we just catch our breath for a second." Nathan nodded slightly and got off the bike. His legs felt weak, and he felt like he could throw up. Sam leaned against the motorcycle, but Nathan walked out a few feet from the river's shore, and he stood there, looking at the city lights. "Some night huh?" Sam said trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah…" Nathan said only slightly above a whisper, "That old lady…" Nathan looked at the ground. "Hey," said Sam in a comforting tone, "Hey that wasn't our fault back there." Sam walked over beside Nathan, "I mean she was…she was sick." Nathan sighed, "I mean it's OK to feel bad," Sam said, "But there was nothing we could do about it." Nathan kept looking at the ground. He shook his head, "So what are we going to do now?" Nathan asked, "I can't go back to the orphanage…You can't go back to your job…" Sam stood there a few seconds, before he shrugged, "Then we won't," he said. Nathan shook his head, "Sure," he said with sarcasm. "No I'm serious," said Sam, "We move as far away from this place as we possibly can." Nathan looked at Sam, "And how long until the cops find us?" Sam chuckled, "Well I think the cops will be looking for Nathan and Sam Morgan." "Yeah that's us," Nathan replied. Sam nodded, "What if it wasn't?" he said. Nathan looked at Sam confused, "Nathan," Sam said, "back at that mansion, you knew just as much about that stuff as that poor old lady. Look," Sam stooped down and took something out of his backpack, "Until tonight, I felt we were destined for something great. But I didn't know what that meant." He took out their mother's white journal. "But this…Mom's unfinished work…This is our chance. We can restart our lives, with brand new identities." "What are you talking about?" Nathan asked. Sam, with opened arms, said, "Well, I know some guys…Pretty good at forging papers too." He looked at the journal thoughtfully, "Now as for our new name…" He tapped the journal, then he smiled, "Mom believed Sir Francis Drake had heirs. Who's to say he didn't?" Nathan looked at his brother, and he smiled. "You're serious," he said, "Aren't you?" Sam shook his head and walked towards Nathan, "Nathan we were meant for this!" he said, "And I promise, you and me, together…we can go far. So what do you say…Nathan Drake?"

"And everything changed after that," said Nathan, "We became explorers…Adventurers…But mostly thieves…Ouch!" Elena wiped the blood off of Nathan's head, "OK," she said, "Just hold still." Nathan finished telling Elena his entire story. She had wanted to know everything, and Nathan had told her. When he had woken up, he had been in her arms. He saw how much she worried, how much he had hurt her. Now, all he wanted to do was make amends. The light of the sun lit the ground up in patches. "You know," said Nathan, "For a while it felt like if we weren't taking turns going to jail it was because we were in jail together." He looked at the ground. He felt exhausted. Elena looked at Nathan, beginning to understand his side of the story. "And after I lost him…" Nathan said, "Or after I…thought…I'd lost him…I…" he sighed. Elena nodded, "You didn't want to bring him back up again," she finished. Nathan nodded, "Yeah," he said, "Something like that…" Elena shifted in her spot. She sighed and folded her cloth. Nathan looked at her and shook his head, "Well that's it…" he said, "Now you know everything." Elena smiled and looked at Nathan, her brown eyes twinkling, "With you I doubt that that's everything," she said. Her smile faded after a bit and she said, "But…it's a lot…" Nathan didn't smile. He didn't think he'd ever be able to smile again, "I'd love to know what you're thinking." He said. Elena chuckled, "I'm thinking you're lucky I found you when I did." Nathan looked at his wife and smiled, "Yeah." He said. "I'm glad you didn't lose a limb or anything," she said, "It would've been a royal pain to get you out of here." Elena got up and walked a few steps away. "How did you find me anyway?" Nathan asked. "Oh you know easy," Elena replied, "Just follow the sound of gunfire." Nathan shook his head, "No," he said, "I mean how did you get…here?" Elena pulled a radio out of her pocket. There was a humming sound in the air like a biplane. "Oh…" Nathan said, "Of course." "Come in Sully," Elena said. "Hey darlin'" Sully's voice came through the radio, "How's he doing?" "Oh you know he's banged up, but he's alive," Elena replied, "Par for the course. Now we just need to rescue the other Drake." Nathan stepped forward, "He's alive?" Nathan asked. Elena nodded, "I saw him being led away by Rafe earlier," she said. "What do you mean?" asked Sully. Elena looked at Nathan, "I'll let Nate tell you," she said tossing him the radio. Nathan caught it and pressed the button, "Hey pal," he said, "Glad you could join us." "Yeah I wouldn't miss it," said Sully, "So what happened to Sam?" "Rafe's got him," Nathan replied. Sully sighed, "You know where they are?" he asked. Nathan nodded, "Uh yeah. They're most likely headed to the north side of the island. That's where New Devon is…See if you can find a spot to set down over there. We're going to need to get out of here pretty quick." "Copy that…" said Sully, "But wait…What about the treasure?" Nathan said the words he never thought he'd ever say in his life, "Forget it," he said, "We don't need it." "But Alcazar?" Sully protested, "No, there is no Alcazar?" Nathan replied, "it's all a lie." Sully sounded confused, "Wait," he said, "you mean…the debt…the escape?" "Yeah," Nathan replied, "Sam made it all up." Nathan looked at Elena, "What a jerk right?" he said. Elena smiled and looked at the ground. "Look I'll fill you in on everything when I see you OK?" Nathan said. "Yeah, I can't wait," Sully replied, "Look you two be safe down there." Nathan smiled, "You know us," he replied. He put the radio in his pocket. Elena held out a pistol, "Trade you," she said. Nathan took the pistol and handed Elena the radio. "Thanks," said Nathan. Elena smiled, "Sure," she replied. "No," said Nathan taking her gently by the arm, "I mean…thanks…for saving me. Again." Elena looked at Nathan like she never had before. There was no smile, just a look that made Nathan's heart ache. "I almost didn't this time," she replied. Nathan nodded slightly and took his eyes off his wife. "Right…" he whispered. They both stood there a few seconds longer, "Come on," said Elena, "I got us a ride." With that, she jogged into the jungle, and Nathan followed her.


	13. Chapter 13: For Better or Worse

Chapter 13

For Better or Worse

"So," said Elena, "We're headed to the north side of the island?" "Yeah New Devon," replied Nathan, "It's home to the founders of Libertalia." Elena nodded, "And that's where Rafe is taking your brother now?" "Yeah," said Nathan, "the treasure is probably there, I just need to save Sam before they find it." They both began running into the jungle together. They had both been through so much together, and Nathan was incredibly grateful that Elena was there. His happiness almost overcame his shame, though he admired Elena for giving him a second chance. He only hoped to be able to repay her one day, though he knew he might never be able. After a bit of walking they came to a muddy slope. "Look," said Elena pointing up to the top of the slope. Nathan saw a Shoreline jeep sitting on a large ledge of rock. "I borrowed it from your Shoreline friends," Elena said with a grin. Nathan huffed, "You slid all the way down there?" Elena nodded, "Yeah it was the quickest way to get down to you. I watched your exchange with Rafe, saw you fall and I slid down." Nathan nodded. That explained how she was able to find him so fast. "Now we just have to find a way back up," she said. Nathan looked around. Just beside him was a ladder, though the bottom part of it had rotted away. Elena walked over to it. "Here, give me a boost," she said. Nathan held his hands and she struggled up onto his shoulders, before jumping onto the ladder, "It's been a while," Elena said, "I guess I'm a bit out of it…" Nathan chuckled, "Well you could come to the gym with me every so often," Elena laughed, "I'll think about it," she said. Although it had been a while since Elena had last adventured, Elena hadn't let herself become too comfortable in her chair. She regularly worked out, though climbing up rotting ladders wasn't usually on her regiment. Elena kicked the ladder down for Nathan, who clambered up. After reaching the top, they both jogged down a jungle path. The soil in this area of the jungle was orange, and there were large patches of yellow flowers. There were two rock cliffs on either side of them about fourteen feet tall. As they continued down the path Nathan tried to strike up some conversation, "So…" he said, "have you been here long?" "On the island?" replied Elena, "A few hours now." Nathan nodded, "Did you see the colony?" he asked. "I did," said Elena, "from the air." "Pretty incredible right?" Nathan said. Elena shook her head, "Well I didn't really get the full tour. I was a little preoccupied with finding you." "Right," said Nathan. They began walking through a stream. The water was incredibly clean, and it flowed swiftly down into a waterfall that ended in a crystal clear pool. "So," Nathan said still trying to get background info, "did Sully fill you in on everything here?" Elena nodded, "Yep," she replied, "Henry Avery, four-hundred million, twelve founders, hundreds of colonists...Something like that?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah pretty much. You got it. The four hundred million doesn't even matter anymore…" They suddenly came to a large opening. They were now on the side of one of the mountains. At least a hundred feet above where Elena had found Nathan. Through the opening, Elena looked to her right. She saw what looked like some large, primitive wooden elevator. "Hey Nathan!" she called. Nathan came over, "It looks like some sort of elevator," she said. Nathan shrugged, "Sure looks like it" Nathan replied "I'm telling you what, Avery must've recruited the best engineers of his time." "He must've used it to move his supplies up-river," Elena said. "Yeah, that's a fair bet," Nathan said. Now how to get to the elevator. Nathan looked around for some way to get up to it. "Look," said Elena, "Up there. There's an opening. And a ladder too." Nathan nodded, that was the only way up. There was a cliff-side that Nathan saw. "We can climb that cliff there," Nathan said. Elena nodded and jogged off to it. Suddenly she began jumping up the ledges with all the speed and agility of a cheetah. Nathan shook his head. She must've been at the gym while he was away. There was no other explanation. Nathan climbed up the cliff-side quite a bit slower than Elena. When he reached the top Elena smiled mischievously, "Out of it Mr. Drake?" she asked. Nathan gave her a look and smiled, "I will be once we get Sam and get out of here," he replied. They came to the ladder, but it was too high for Nathan to reach. He boosted Elena up the ladder. On the third step the ladder cracked and fell a few inches. "Elena be careful!" Nathan said with concern. "I'm OK," Elena said. She carefully climbed up the rest of the ladder, which thankfully didn't fall, at least while she was on it. As soon as she climbed onto the ledge, the ladder crumbled and fell to the ground in pieces. "Oh, sorry!" Elena said, "I'll find a way to get you up." Nathan nodded, "OK!" he replied. After a few seconds he heard Elena call, "Hey! There's a path up here!" A few more seconds and Elena said, "Alright! Here! Look out below!" Suddenly she shoved a large crate down to the ground. "Thanks!" Nathan called up. He looked around. There was a stone pillar in the middle of the ledge, and there was a handhold that he couldn't quite reach. He pushed the crate over, stood on it, and climbed up onto the pillar. Spanning the pillar was a large fallen log that reached over to the main cliff Elena was on. He began crossing the log, when suddenly Elena made a massive jump. She leapt from one cliff ledge to the other, at least fifteen feet away. "Whoa…" Nathan said to himself, "Hey nice jump!" Nathan called. Elena looked at Nathan and smiled, "Not bad right?" she called back. Crossing the log again, Nathan sighed and shook his head, "Way to go Nate," he said to himself, "lie to a girl like that…Idiot…" He walked out until he came to the elevator house. There was a waterwheel beside him, and the old rusted gears for what was probably a mill. The elevator was beside him, but too high up. Elena was at the elevator operating panel, too high for him to get to. "Can you get up here?" Elena called. Nathan shook his head, "It's a dead end!" he said. "I'll see if the elevator still works!" Elena yelled down. Nathan shook his head, "Ah I doubt it! It's over 300 years old, it's been exposed to the elements, it's only made of wood…I don't think that-" "Got it!" Called Elena. With a gigantic groan the elevator began creaking down towards Nathan. Shaking his head, Nathan jumped onto one of the outside beams of the elevator. Elena cranked the switch and the elevator began to groan back up. "Next floor, menswear," he said with a chuckle. "You know, the fact that this works is pretty amazing," Elena said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth the elevator jammed and stopped. "Ah," she said, "Jinxed it…" "Don't worry," Nathan said, "I'll meet you up top." Nathan jumped onto a small ledge of the cliff and shimmied over to his right. After a while, the cliff curved around ninety degrees and ended, meeting back to the mountainside. There was a tree branch poking out of the cliff, and Nathan jumped onto it. He began swinging back and forth to jump back onto the mountain, when suddenly he heard two voices. "Hey Rogers, you got any smokes?" Nathan stopped swinging. "Yeah but they're sopping wet. Had a bit of an accidental swim." Suddenly the two men turned around the corner. They were two Shoreline mercenaries. "Hey! Up there! It's Drake!" shouted one of them. Nathan held the branch with one hand, and he pulled out his pistol. He shot off three rounds then the magazine clicked. He was empty and he missed the three times. Suddenly he saw Elena come around the corner. She shot at one of the men and he fell. The other one turned around to face Elena, but she shot before he could react. Thoroughly impressed, Nathan swung onto the ground. "Nice moves hon," he said. "Nothing to it," Elena replied, "Now then…Where's the car?" Nathan looked around. "It'll be easier to spot from higher ground," he replied. Before they did, Elena, with her hands on her hips, stared up at the elevator. Nathan stood beside her, "You should've seen the stuff Avery built in Scotland," he said, "I mean there was this huge-" "Hold up," Elena interrupted, "You went to Scotland too?" Nathan immediately switched into explanation mode, "Oh, uh…Yeah…You see the last place Avery was uh…" Elena chuckled, "Relax," she said, "Sully filled me in." "Ah, right." Nathan said relieved. He shook his head and said, "Yeah well…I mean I…At least I didn't lie again." Elena nodded and looked at Nathan with eyes half closed, a wry smile on her face, "Mmm-Hmm," she said, "You don't get brownie points for doing what you're supposed to do pal…" Nathan would've chuckled, but he really wasn't in a position to…

They had climbed up to higher ground, and were now at the top of the mountain. This particular mountain was much lower in elevation than the others, and the top was a flat rock nearly, swampy for the most part and trees with massively wide trunks towering everywhere. There, just to their right several hundred yards away was their car. Nathan and Elena heard raised voices, and saw several Shoreline mercenaries looking at the jeep Elena had stolen. "They found our jeep!" Nathan said. "Technically it's their jeep," Elena said. Nathan heard one man shout, "You think she's with Drake?" "Gotta be!" replied another, "Some men said they heard a prop plane too!" Nathan and Elena slowly made their way towards the jeep, keeping out of sight of the Shoreline mercenaries. When they came to about fifty feet of the jeep, Elena made a crazy suggestion, "You think we can just hop in and drive out of here?" Nathan looked at her with a raised eyebrow, then thinking through it, he realized that it could work. "Worth a shot…" he said after a bit. They waited until the majority of the mercenaries had their back turned, then they made a break for it. Nathan lunged into the driver's seat. "Elena!" he said sharply. Elena jumped into the passenger's seat and Nathan turned on the engine. Suddenly he heard one of the mercenaries shout, "Hey! The car! They're getting away!" Nathan shoved his foot on the gas pedal and they revved forward. The car lunged forward, and several mercenaries started shooting the jeep. Fortunately, they were able to blow out of the camp and drive far away. They ended up in the middle of another river, this one flowing much faster than the others. This area of the jungle was nowhere near as thick as the parts near Saint Maries, and it was sparse enough to drive a jeep through. The reason for the sparseness was the soil. It was almost totally made up of huge flat rocks, with moss growing on it. Where there wasn't rock, there was mud. Driving through the river, Elena looked at Nathan, "So here's my question," she said, "Why does Rafe Adler need Avery's treasure? It's not like he needs the money." Nathan shook his head and shrugged, "He wants the glory," he said, "You can't buy that with money. He doesn't want to be known as a guy who got super-rich only because of his inheritance. Walking away isn't an option for him." Elena nodded, "Well Rafe is a good match for Shoreline," she said, "he needs their muscle and they need his money." Nathan raised an eyebrow, "They do? They seemed pretty well stocked." "Shoreline got in a few civil wars that didn't pan out for them," Elena replied, "Nadine inherited her father's mess. She's probably hoping that this'll put her back on the map." Nathan nodded, he hadn't really done much research on Shoreline's history. Shoreline was out to kill him, that's pretty much all he needed to know. Nathan soon found what looked like a pathway through the jungle. It was well carved out, and it led straight towards New Devon. The path was made of cobblestone, and after a bit they passed an angel statue sitting on the right side of the pathway. That settled it in Nathan's mind. This was the road to New Devon. The path stretched on until they came to a large basin of water, an extremely shallow lake that spread out over the area. Several small waterfalls poured into it. Nathan looked up to see the upper part of the mountain. He saw another elevator, though this one was far larger than the previous one. "Whoa," said Nathan, "Check out that elevator!" "It's massive," Elena replied. As they began driving towards it, Nathan chuckled, "I bet you could write an awesome article about all of this…" Elena laughed, "I could," she said, "But I doubt anybody would believe it." "Well you could take pictures, right?" Nathan asked. Elena shook her head, "I could've, but I didn't bring my camera…Kind of wish I did though…" Though this remark would've gone unnoticed by many others, Nathan was touched. Elena brought her camera with her wherever she went. Even going to the grocery store she kept a camera in her car in case she saw anything interesting, whether an animal or accident. It was the journalist in her that had never quite left when she left the job. But the fact that she left it behind when she knew full well that she was coming to a pirate colony, showed Nathan that Elena was only here to find him. Now, they both were going to rescue Sam, together. After a bit Elena asked Nathan, "So why didn't Sam come straight to you…After Rafe got him out of prison?" "I think he wanted to gather every clue Rafe had on Avery before he bailed on him. Plus he needed time to come up with that crazy Alcazar story…I mean if I had just looked it up!" he sighed, "I mean I guess nobody would expect their brother to lie about something like that…or their husband…" Elena looked at Nathan. She didn't say anything, but he could tell that Elena knew he was sorry. They drove out of the basin, and met back up with the pathway. Nathan saw a very slippery muddy part of the road ahead of them. He looked at Elena, "Uh…does this jeep have a winch?" he asked. Elena shrugged, "I don't know," she replied, "I didn't check." Nathan prayed it did. Soon, they came to the elevator. "That thing is huge," Nathan said, "It looks big enough to fit the car." The elevator wasn't a vertical shape, but it looked like a large wooden crate, almost the length and height of a standard dump truck. Elena drove the car inside and got out. There wasn't a lever inside the elevator, but instead it was on the outside, about thirty feet away. Nathan shrugged and ran over, then pulled the lever. Suddenly the elevator jerked up so suddenly Elena lost her balance and fell on the elevator floor. "Uh, Nate!" Elena called, "The elevator's moving! Get on quick!" Nathan ran over, and jumped onto the side of the elevator. Like looking at an animal in a cage, Nathan looked inside the elevator at Elena. She had a smile on her face and she shook her head, "Hey honey," Nathan said. Elena waved, "How are you?" she asked. "Oh, hanging in there," Nathan replied with a smirk. Elena rolled her eyes. Suddenly bullets began tearing through the air. Five Shoreline mercenaries started shooting Elena. "Get down!" Nathan shouted, "Use the car as cover!" Elena got down and pulled out her pistol. Nathan took his and shot one of the mercenaries down. "Don't shoot at my wife!" Nathan shouted as he shot down the second mercenary. Suddenly three more mercenaries arrived. He saw Nathan shoot another mercenary down, but one of them had his laser sight pointed directly on Elena's back. Nathan whipped around and shot the mercenary before he could kill Elena. The elevator still creeped upwards, but the mercenaries were crawling out of the rock ledges of the cliff. They were hiding behind rock pillars and shooting with fully automatic weapons. Suddenly he heard Elena shout, "Hey! Get off my elevator!" He looked down to see Elena kick a mercenary off the elevator, who fell over fifty feet to the ground. "Elena! You still with me?" Nathan shouted, "Yeah I'm still here!" Elena replied, "The car's got some holes in it though!" The elevator came almost right next to a rock pillar, so close Nathan could reach out and touch it. He saw a mercenary jump off the rock pillar all of the sudden, and onto the roof of the elevator. Nathan climbed onto the roof, and with mercenaries still shooting, Nathan kicked him off the elevator. The mercenary had left his sniper rifle behind. Nathan took it, and aiming for one of the mercenary's, he shot one down. The elevator continued going up until they came to the very top of the cliff. At the top were two Shoreline trailers. There were mercenaries leaving the trailers constantly. Suddenly Nathan saw laser sight come his way. It was a mercenary with an RPG. Nathan boldly aimed, and shot the mercenary in the chest, killing him. He dropped his RPG. "Nate, jump to the cliffs, you'll be able to get a better shot!" Nathan nodded and leapt off the elevator onto the cliff-edge. He climbed up, the mercenaries trailers right in front of him. He saw the body of the man with the RPG. He was close, but right out in the open. Mercenaries were shooting in every direction. He shot one of them down, and made a dash for the RPG. With bullets biting at his heels so close he could feel them dig into the dirt, he darted over, grabbed the RPG, and hid behind a rock. He took aim at one of the trailers and shot. It exploded into the air tremendously, fire billowing into the sky. Most of the mercenaries around the area were blown to their deaths, and some of the others even turned tail and ran. Suddenly the elevator started to move up again. After a bit it met up with the upper station. Nathan heard gunshots coming from there. He ran over, "Elena!" he shouted frantically, "Elena!" He ran over from the side, and saw two mercenaries unloading their magazines at the jeep. Suddenly, the jeep exploded out of the elevator, Elena in the driver's seat. Paying no heed, she ran the mercenaries over and stopped the jeep. Nathan was stunned. He ran over. "You drive!" Elena said. "You sure?" asked Nathan, "You seem to be doing fine." "After all that, I need a break!" Elena said. Nathan shrugged, she'd earned one he guessed. He hopped into the driver's seat. "Well the car looks a bit shot up, but I'm sure we'll be fine," Nathan said. Ignoring the three bullet holes in the windshield Nathan started driving. After they got a good ways away from the elevator Elena looked around and said, "You know I was thinking…All of this engineering and architecture, it doesn't come cheap. This stuff would be incredibly expensive today let alone three hundred years ago. Do you think there's even any treasure left?" Nathan shrugged, "Well we were wondering that ourselves. Only one way to find out…" They had been climbing up all this time, the pathway just continued up and up and up. Soon, they saw yet another elevator. This third elevator was by far the tallest, reaching up the side of an enormous cliff-face. It was at least two hundred feet high. After a bit, they came to it. Before driving inside though, Nathan saw a small house beside the elevator. They both entered. It was small and incredibly modest. "Who lived here?" Elena asked. "Uh, the elevator…keeper…person," Nathan replied. Elena laughed and squinted, "The elevator…keeper…person?" she repeated just as Nathan had. "Yeah," he replied, "I mean how else would you pass pirate safety inspections." Elena nodded. Nathan looked around a bit, and saw a letter lying on a desk. Nathan picked it up and read it. It was dated June 5th, 1718. The letter was written by the elevator keeper, and it spoke of the large amount of weapons entering Libertalia. How the founders, especially Thomas Tew, were acting quite strange and secretive, and that the writer of the letter would defend Libertalia to the death from tyranny. Nathan put the letter in his journal. The founders were pirates after all…After leaving the house they walked over to the elevator. This particular one had a gate in front. Nathan beckoned for Elena to come, and they both got their hands underneath it and grunted and heaved as they both tried to heft the gate up. It was extremely heavy, but they both were able to get into position, and shove it up. Unfortunately, the lock was gone, and it crashed right back down. "I'll hold it," said Nathan through clenched teeth, "Just get the car!" Elena ran back and got into the jeep. She turned it on and began driving. Nathan pushed the gate up with all his might, wincing. He was able to hold it high enough to let Elena and the jeep through, before he got to the other side and dropped the gate, which hit the ground with a thud. "Ah…that's heavy," said Nathan. This time, the switch was inside the elevator. "Well here goes nothing," said Nathan. He pulled the lever, and after a few squeaks and groans, the elevator began clanking upwards. "Three for three," said Elena looking out over the island. Nathan walked over beside her. "Gotta love that pirate engineering," he said. The elevator slowly climbed, smoother than the others. Out of the three, this one was also in the best condition. After a while they passed the tallest trees, which were only about forty feet tall. The eerie, predatory looking mountain was right in front of them. "Wow," said Elena admiring, "It's like a postcard…" Nathan chuckled, "Yeah, Libertalia. Come for the views, stay for the life-or-death gunfights…" Elena laughed softly. A few more moments passed, the mountains in the distance becoming clearer. Nathan put his hands on the railing. He needed to ask her. He wanted to know, "So what made you change your mind?" he asked. Elena cocked her head to the side a bit, "Hm?" she asked. "Well," said Nathan, "You…You said you almost didn't come back." Elena smiled slightly, "Well I couldn't leave you while you were clearly in over your head," she replied, "And you know there's that whole marriage vow thing." Nathan nodded, "For better or worse," he quoted. Elena looked at Nathan, "Yeah," she replied, "For better or worse…Not just for the better…" The elevator came to a stop, and Elena turned around and walked over to the gate, though Nathan stood there for a few more seconds, thinking over what Elena just said. It only made Nathan love her more. He turned around, "Here," Elena said, "Give me a hand with this," Nathan walked over to the gate and they began hefting this one up. Fortunately it was lighter than the bottom one, as they pushed it up, Elena said, "You know, even if you think you're protecting me, you don't have a right to shut me out like that." They pushed the gate up, and it locked in place properly. Elena turned to face Nathan. She sighed, "No matter what it is," she said, "You're supposed to come to me, so we can work it out together…as a team." Nathan sighed, "I know that," he said, "It's just that…I just couldn't…I didn't want to see you get…" He couldn't finish. Elena already knew what he was trying to say. "You know what," she said, "We should just stay focused. There'll be time for this later." She smiled, but Nathan didn't. He nodded and they both got inside the jeep. He got inside the jeep, and turned the keys, "Next stop, New Devon." He said. Driving up the pathway to New Devon, Nathan's thoughts were filled with their past adventures. He and Elena had been through so much together, and even now, after his huge mistake, Elena wasn't leaving him. The sunlight came down from above, and the mossy cobblestones of the path kept rising up and up. Nathan was grateful he could share this with Elena. And now here they were, discovering Libertalia. If this was to be his last adventure, Nathan could accept it. All he cared about now was his family. This time, he wasn't in it for the treasure. He only wanted his brother back. He was willing to make this his final adventure, to make it his "One last time," as he had told Sully way back in Italy. Soon, the path became clearer. He looked to see a tall statue of Captain Avery towering above him. Suddenly Elena's radio buzzed. "Hey!" Sully called in, "Elena? Nate?" Elena picked up the radio, "We're here Sully," she said, "Where are you?" "Still in the air," Sully replied, "Saw a bunch of Shoreline vehicles going north." Nathan sighed, "I guess we'll see them soon," he said. "You two doing OK so far?" Sully asked. "We hit a few hitches but so far so good," Elena replied. "Alright, good," Sully said, "Keep in touch will you? I'm not the 'no news is good news' type." "We'll try," Elena replied, "Over and out." They continued down the path until they reached a stone bridge. "Alright," Nathan said, "New Devon should be just over this bridge." Nathan looked at the bridge. He didn't like it at all. Cracked and crumbled, it looked about as structurally sound as a bridge made of silk. To make matters worse, there was a raging river just below it. He drove the jeep out over it, when suddenly he heard a massive crack. The bridge began to break in pieces. "Nate?!" Elena shouted, "Hold on!" Nathan replied, "Oh I hate bridges!" He slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and the jeep drove forward. The bridge segment they were on suddenly collapsed, and they fell into the water. While only a few feet deep, the current to the river was far too strong for even the best swimmer, and the jeep began drifting along in the current like a stick. "Turn around!" Elena pleaded, "We're heading for the falls!" Nathan looked ahead. There was a huge waterfall just ahead that was the height of a ten story building. The jeep smashed into a gigantic boulder in the middle of the river. "Brace yourself!" Nathan shouted. Suddenly the jeep was wedged between a huge log and another boulder. Fortunately, it was right next to the shore. There was a rock ledge only a few feet above the jeep. Elena jumped up, and pulled herself onto the rock. Nathan got out, and jumped onto the ledge, but his hand slipped and he fell into the backseat of the jeep. Suddenly the log snapped and the jeep began flowing directly towards the falls. There was a small, craggy tree sticking out in front of the waterfall. Nathan got out his grappling hook and threw it to the tree. He jumped off the jeep just before it fell over the falls. He dangled hundreds of feet above the bottom of the waterfall. The jeep exploded in a huge fireball when it hit the ground. "Nate!" Elena shouted. "I'm OK!" Nathan replied. "The tree!" Elena called pointing to it, "The tree is not OK!" The tree wasn't anchored into the ground well at all. He began swinging back and forth, trying to get to the ledge. He swung once, twice, then he leapt off the tree, taking his grappling hook with him. As soon as he leapt off, the tree broke off from the cliff-side and crashed to the ground far below. He landed on the cliff edge. "Here," said Elena giving Nathan her hand. She pulled Nathan up, and they both crouched there on the cliff. Elena looked over the side. "Well," she said, "So much for the car…" They both stood up. Nathan sighed. "Come on," said Elena giving Nathan a weak slap on the arm. As she turned to leave, Nathan shook his head, "I wasn't trying to protect you," he said. Elena turned around and Nathan walked towards her. He needed to say this. He needed to be completely honest with her, "It's just that…It's…I made a promise that I was done with this life." Elena nodded, "We both did," she said. "Yeah, but I broke it…I didn't tell you because I was…because I was afraid." "Afraid of what?" Elena asked. "Of losing you," Nathan answered. Elena stood there. She nodded. She wasn't looking at Nathan, she was looking into the distance, thinking. "I guess I was just protecting myself," Nathan said. Elena put her hands on her hips and nodded. "We have a lot of ground to cover," she said. Elena didn't smile, and she didn't reply. Nathan hoped she could get her to understand his reasons for lying, even though he had gone about it in the total wrong way. "We should keep moving," Nathan said. Elena nodded, and they looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, before Elena turned and began walking off. Nathan followed, and after walking a bit, he came across a skeleton. He was still holding the withered remains of a piece of paper. Though faded, Nathan could still read it. It read, "I bade farewell to Eleanor and little Abigail at midnight. They joined the other escapees aboard the Swiftsure, bound for better shores. I pray I shall be able to join them soon. The founders have taken everything from me. From all of us. What little gold I have contributed is now gone, or behind the high walls of New Devon. We shall see soon enough. At dawn, we go forth to take back what is rightfully ours. They did not stop us at the treasury, they shall not stop us now. My darling Eleanor, my sweet Abigail, should I perish here, should I fail you, know only that I wished for your safety and happiness. Perhaps you may still have a chance for yourselves." Nathan put the note in his journal and walked around the corner. Suddenly they came to a clearing in the jungle. Laying in a heap on the ground was an entire pile of human bones. Nathan stood there in horror, staring at it all. At least thirty bodies were in an unorganized, rotting pile, the skulls bleached white from the sun. As if that wasn't horrible enough, Nathan looked up to see a skeleton inside a gibbet, which was a cage that they would leave the prisoner inside. The prisoner would then starve to death inside the cage with nothing to do for himself. Hung on this gibbet was the word "traitor." Nathan did a sketch of it in his journal. "Who is this?" asked Elena. "Well look at that," Nathan replied, "It says traitor. He's one of the rebel colonists." A bit further inside the clearing was another gibbet. Nathan huffed, and looked back at the immense pile of bones. Now he knew where all the skeletons were that had been missing inside of Saint Maries. They kept walking along the shore of the raging river. The further they went, the more horrors met them. Still more gibbets, and dead corpses, some with cutlasses and spears inside their ribcages. They came to yet another clearing, and it was the most horrifying of all.


	14. Chapter 14: The Last Supper

Chapter 14

The Last Supper

Nathan gasped as he looked at it all. There was a massive pile of bones that had been charred, blackened by fire. There were at least twenty gibbets, each with its own miserable skeleton inside. There were skeletons by the dozen that had spears sticking through them, weapons everywhere. It was the most death Nathan had ever seen in one place. "Well I guess that's one way to squash a rebellion," Nathan said. Elena shook her head, "I have to wonder if this was always the plan," she said. "What, to slaughter all the colonists?" Nathan asked. Elena shook her head, "No," she said, "To lure them here in hopes of finding a utopia only to rob them of everything that we have." Nathan shrugged, "Well we are dealing with a bunch of pirates here," he said. Staring over the immense scene of carnage Elena huffed, "Well that's pretty diabolical," she said, "Even for pirates…" Clearly the early victories of the colonists didn't last. The wind gently blew into the valley, causing the gibbets to creak. The clearing was swampy, with large puddles filled with green and stagnant water. He looked around, when he noticed a sign, It read, "We receive the due rewards of our deeds." Nathan's eyes widened. It was the same phrase that had been written on the Saint Dismas crosses. To make the sting of irony even worse, this entire swamp of genocide was right in front of an old, crumbling church. Nathan was disgusted. Etched above the door to the church were the words, "Today you shall join me in paradise." Nathan huffed. The words of Jesus to the Penitent Thief, and maybe even some of the words that the dead colonists heard. Nathan looked at the church. He walked up to the doors and tried to push them open, but they wouldn't budge. They were huge bronze gates, but they were so heavy and covered with debris that Nathan couldn't open them, even with Elena's help. Nathan looked around. He would have to climb up the church wall to get to the other side. Nathan rubbed his chin, then started climbing up the wall. Aside from a few crumbling bricks and mortar, Nathan and Elena were able to climb up the side of the structure without difficulty. Nathan got onto the top first, then he helped Elena up to the top. It was then that Nathan realized that this wasn't a church, it was the gate to…New Devon. The huge bronze doors and church-like look had merely been a façade. Behind the gate was New Devon, and it spread out in front of them. It was in much worse shape than Nathan had anticipated. While the city of Saint Maries had been overrun by the jungle, New Devon looked to be overrun by water. The city's main street was now a river, and the mansions were all leaning towards it. The lush, green and grey look of the jungle didn't leave, it stayed. The same plants all grew here, crawling up the sides of the mansions. At the end of the main street was the biggest and grandest mansion of all: Avery's mansion. "Welcome to Avery's neighborhood," said Nathan. Elena chuckled, "It's a nice place," she said, "as long as you don't mind some water damage or drainage issues. Could be a real fixer-upper opportunity." Nathan chuckled himself. Elena had a hard enough time keeping the décor and furniture arrangements of their house the same, let alone an entire mansion. Elena pulled out a pair of binoculars, "Well it looks like…" she said looking towards the top of the town, "Somebody must've blown a hole in that dam and flooded the whole place…" Nathan smiled and looked at Elena, a twinkle in his eye, "You know I forgot," he said. Elena looked at Nathan, "You're pretty good at this," he said. Elena smiled a bit and looked back into the binoculars, "Alright," she said, "So which one of these do you think is Avery's?" Nathan held the binoculars up to Elena's eyes and directed her gaze onto the biggest and most intact mansion, "My money's on that one," he said. Elena smiled, still looking through the binoculars, "Oh," she said, "You're not so bad at this either." Nathan cocked his head, "Well you know, I've had some practice, read a few books. You know, probably the best-" "Nathan! Nathan!" Elena said grabbing Nathan's arm. "What?" Nathan said, concerned, "What is it?" Elena handed him the binoculars, "Look," she said, "Front door." Nathan looked through the binoculars. He could just barely make out the faces of at least five people through the mist. There was Sam, Rafe, and a few Shoreline mercenaries. Rafe was shoving a pistol into Sam's back, forcing him to open the door. "Sam," Nathan whispered. "He's still alive," Elena said. "Yeah, for now," said Nathan getting up, "Come on," he took Elena by the hand and helped her up. "Alright, keep your eye open for Shoreline mercs," said Nathan. Elena nodded. He looked down. Below him was a large basin of water, about ten to fifteen feet deep. He shrugged. Elena smiled and they both jumped into the water. Warmer than Nathan expected, he surfaced. "This way," Nathan said. He swam over towards the shore. When he climbed up, he was beside a smaller wooden house, not a mansion by any stretch. Nathan entered its ruins and looked around. Everything was covered with moss. The walls, the floor, and the sofa sitting in one corner. Looking around the house and the surrounding mansions, Elena shook her head, "You know when Sully told me about this place," she said, "I was picturing wooden shacks and simple homes at the most." Nathan nodded, "Yeah," he replied. He left the small building and entered another adjacent house. He walked through the second house until he came to the bedroom. This house was far larger than the first house. He figured that the first house had been a sort of servant's quarters. There, lying on the bed was a skeleton. A cutlass in his chest. "Wow," Nathan said, "Somebody had it in for this guy…" Beside the dead body was another old note. Nathan picked it up. This one was shorter, and it read, "Founder Condent, I know it was on your orders that my home was ransacked and burned. Your brother denied your involvement in these deeds, but I know a liar's tongue when I hear one. Now I am short one sword, as I cannot seem to be able to pry it from his gut. You have until sundown to return what is rightfully mine. Signed, Founder Edward England." Nathan folded the note into his journal. He chuckled, he wondered how long it took these pirates to think of the most poetic way to threaten somebody when writing a letter. In any case, it looked like the founders were fighting amongst themselves, not just with the colonists. He looked around the house, which was painted with pink and yellow, and the walls were gilded. He walked up the staircase and there, in the middle of the wall was a sigil. It was a winding, winged serpent. Nathan looked at it, "That's Christopher Condent's sigil," he said, "We're in his house!" Elena walked up the stairs, and Nathan told her. Nothing left to see, he walked over out of the house. There, standing on a ruin just across a part of the river was a Shoreline patrol. The house they were on was almost an island sticking out of the river, which was very shallow, about five feet deep. "It's Shoreline!" Nathan said, "Elena, get down!" They both crouched in the leafy undergrowth. The shore of the stream was right in front of them. He heard a mercenary speak. "Patrol confirmed Drake's alive. He made it through," "So lock this place down!" Another replied, "We need to be prepared if he shows up!" Nathan smirked, "Too late pal," he said. Elena gave him a look, then she looked at the water. "Hey," she said, "We can hide underwater to avoid being seen. I don't feel like getting in another gunfight…" Nathan nodded, "Yeah, me neither." They both crept into the water and silently swam past, diving underwater when they were closest to the mercenaries. When the mercenaries' backs were turned, Nathan and Elena climbed out of the water, and hid in the tall grasses. They came right up to another founder's house, which was even larger than Christopher Condent's. There were quite a few Shoreline mercenaries inside. They still kept to the water, slowly swimming past, making as little sound as possible. Fortunately, there was a current, so the water bubbled along, not just silently flowing past. It made enough noise to drown out Nathan and Elena swimming through the water. Their speed was painfully slow, and suddenly a Shoreline mercenary jumped down off the building and walked over towards the water. Nathan and Elena dove down underwater. They hid in the thick waterweeds that grew on the streambed. Squinting his eyes to see above, Nathan saw the mercenary bend down and wash his face. He stood there for a few moments, the oxygen starting to deplete in Nathan's lungs. In the nick of time, the mercenary left, and Nathan and Elena gasped for breath before continuing along. Soon, they passed the unit, and they clambered onto shore. Elena and Nathan looked for a way forward. Nathan wanted to keep to the shadows as much as possible. He knew that there was probably more than one Shoreline unit in New Devon, after all, Rafe himself was here. Soon, he heard Elena call, "Nate, over here!" We'll cut through this cave!" Nathan walked over. He shrugged, "Worth a shot," he said. With that, they entered.

It didn't take long for them to emerge on the other side, which was almost directly in front of Avery's mansion. He looked at it, and noticed two huge armored Shoreline vehicles designed to carry troops. "Ah crap!" he said, "How many people did you bring here Nadine?" Elena shook her head, "Well she does have an entire army," she said, "You think they found the treasure?" "Well let's hope not," Nathan replied, "For Sam's sake." They continued towards the mansion when they came across yet another horror. It was a hangman's noose sitting inside of a stone covered arbor. Dangling from the rope was a skeleton, inside of a withered dress. Elena gasped, "Oh my…" she didn't finish. It was a woman. Throughout Libertalia they hadn't come across a single female skeleton as far as they could tell. This was the first. Poking out of the dress's pocket was a note. It was addressed to Richard Want, and was signed by Adam Baldrige. The note said, "Founder Want, I promised you swift retribution. As you have taken from me, so I take from you. Adam Baldrige." Nathan figured that the woman on the noose was Richard Want's wife. Elena looked at the note, "So, they were both Founders?" she asked. Nathan nodded, "Yeah," he replied, "It looks like they were turning on each other. But why?" Elena shrugged, "Greed. Paranoia. Money. Same stuff that's ruined every other fallen civilization." Nathan chuckled, "Well more money more problems," he said. There was a rusty iron gate that was so corroded that they couldn't open it. Having no other way to Avery's mansion, they saw a house next to the gate and climbed onto the roof. Nathan held out his hand, "After you," he said with a smile. Elena grinned, "Aww, how sweet," she said, "Do you want me to be your decoy?" Nathan scoffed, "No," he said, "I was being gentlemanly there," Elena laughed, "Ha, ha! Just busting your chops!" "Yeah well the chops are plenty busted already," Nathan replied. He shook his head and they both climbed the wall onto the roof. Elena stood there, "Well," she said, "If we cross this house we should be able to-" Suddenly there was a massive crack, and the roof caved in. The house was leaning in terribly, and Nathan and Elena couldn't get a good footing, and they both slid down the floorboards, before the floor they were on cracked. They fell to the first floor, before sliding out of the house and into the river. After spitting out the water in their mouths, Nathan chuckled, "Well that's one way to jump the gate," he said. "Whew!" Elena said, "Are you OK?" Nathan shook his head, "Well, wet again. Tired. Bruised. A little hungry. I could eat. Other than that I'm fine." Elena chuckled, "Yeah…whew…OK, let's keep going." They were right next to a mansion that was much larger than any of the houses they had been in. The basement level of the mansion was partially inside the stream, and the windows were broken. "Come on," said Nathan, "We'll cut through here." They both swam through the window and into the cellar. The floor of the home soon went up and the water disappeared. The floor of the level was covered in mold and mildew, and most of the boards were rotting away. They climbed up to the second floor. "You think the colonists flooded this place?" Elena asked. "Well they definitely had the motivation," Nathan replied. "But you don't think it's them?" Elena followed. "I just find it a bit odd that every single house here is underwater…except one." Elena nodded, "Avery's…" she said. Nathan nodded, "And if the colonists and the founders were both fighting, I don't know what Avery might've done." The room they were in was some sort of bedroom, though very large. There were flowing, pink curtains, and a large covered bed. The floor was covered in moss and flowers, and could've just as easily passed as the jungle floor outside. There were leafy vines hanging from the ceiling, and the place reeked of the smell of mold. There were many treasures in the house made of gold, silver, brass or other metals. Nathan figured each of them might've came from the Gunsway itself. While they were beautiful then, now they were covered in moss, and the scent of rotting wood covered them. He looked on a desk in the room to see yet another note laying there. He picked it up and read it, "To Founder Baldrige. I received word that you are mustering your soldiers to attack me. As a fellow pirate, and a friend prior to our years in Libertalia, I implore you to heed my words. I know not who sowed the seeds of our current discord, but of this I am certain: If the civil war continues, everything we spent our lives building will come to ruin. History will remember us not as pioneers, but as fools. We must put a stop to this conflict, together. Should we join forces, we shall have the strongest alliance on the island. The other founders will either join us, or fall to our superior might. If you agree, light a candle in your study this evening, and I shall take it as a sign that you have come to your senses. If not, remember both England and Want have made attempts on my life and failed. Where are they now? Signed, Founder Christopher Condent." Nathan shook his head and put the letter in his journal. He chuckled. The pirates didn't follow their code of honor after all, as Nathan suspected they didn't. After reading the note, they left the mansion, and continued towards Avery's palace.

They came to yet another mansion. Nathan wasn't quite sure whose house this was. It was in front of Avery's, and slightly smaller. The yard in front of the mansion had cannons that looked like they had ben retrofitted. Elena walked up to the cannon, "Hmm," she said, "Improvised defenses…I guess they weren't expecting to be fighting each other." Nathan looked at the cannon, the moss growing all over it, "Guess not," he replied. After a bit Nathan shook his head, "You know what, I think Avery is the one behind all this." Elena shrugged, "I have my theories but I think I agree with you," she said. Nathan walked towards the main doors, though they were too big to open. He saw a large broken window next to the doors, and he and Elena walked inside. The room looked like some sort of study. There was a large table in the middle of the room, and windows with red velvet curtains. The borders of the walls were gilded, and there were faded paintings on the walls. The room was small, but when Nathan left the room, he entered the main hall. The doors were behind him, but in front was a massive hall. However, the floor of the majority of the hall was caved in, and the river flowed through it. "Nice water feature," he said, "Time for another swim I guess…" He looked around first, still trying to figure out whose house that this was. He was putting his bet on Thomas Tew, after all, Tew seemed like he was second in command at Libertalia. He heard Elena call over, "Hey Nate! That looks like an exit." Nathan walked over and looked. There was an open window on the second floor. The only problem was that there was no staircase to the second floor on their side, and the walls were smooth, and couldn't be climbed. Elena looked at Nathan and shrugged. Nathan walked over and jumped into the water. The current carried him over to the right side of the building, though the exit window was on the left side. Fortunately, the hallway was fairly narrow, and there was a wooden beam that spanned the stream through the floor. He walked over, but the beam began to tip. "Here, I'll weigh it down for you," said Elena. She stood on the end and Nathan walked across. "Thanks!" Nathan called, "You make a great counterweight…I—I mean..." Elena shook her head, "I guess I'll take that as a complement," she said. Nathan shook his head. "You should know better than to talk about a girl's weight, dummy," he said to himself. Elena looked for something to weigh her down. There was a large crossbeam laying on the ground, and she hefted it over on top of the beam crossing the water. She walked across and joined Nathan. The wallpaper and wood in the wall in front of them had decayed, leaving the crossed studs for them to climb on. They both climbed up to the second floor. When they reached it, they saw the window, which unfortunately wasn't a window to the outside, though it looked like one from beneath. There was a bookshelf blocking their way, and Nathan and Elena both shoved it out of the way before entering the hallway behind it. The hallway was gilded with gold, and there were ornate pieces of furniture, paintings with solid gold frames, and other treasures, though Nathan didn't take any of them. One of the paintings was particularly interesting. It showed the busy central square of Saint Maries. There was the tall statue of Henry Avery, and beside it were rich looking people, with hats and fancy laced clothing. The buildings looked brand new, not the plant infested ruins they were now. He shook his head. How much he wished he could've seen Libertalia in its heyday. The next painting confirmed Nate's suspicions. The painting was small, and it was a picture of an arm holding a cutlass. "Hey look," Nathan said, "It's Thomas Tew's sigil." "So we're in his mansion," Elena said looking at the painting. "Second in command," Nathan replied, "Going up the pirate hierarchy." They continued down the narrow hallway before they saw a set of wooden double doors. Curious, Nathan pushed the doors open, Elena following close behind. What he saw took his breath away. "Whoa…" Nathan said, stunned. Elene entered. "Good Lord…" she said. The room was a large banquet hall. There was a large rectangular table, and the windows were covered with maroon curtains. Sitting in the tables were ten skeletons, each sitting in their red velvet covered chairs. "It looks like the last supper," said Elena. Indeed it did. "Looks like we found the party," said Nathan. "Looks like we're a little late," replied Elena. Nathan walked around and looked at the skeletons. Each of them were wearing rich clothing, and some were wearing huge curled wigs. The table was set magnificently with gold and silver platters and dishes. There was fine china, and ornately decorated pewter cutlery. "Hey Nate," Elena said, "Come take a look at this." Nathan walked over. He saw Elena pick up a small piece of wood that looked like a drink coaster. She blew on it, rubbed off the dust, and showed Nathan with wide eyes. It was a winged horse, Anne Bonney's sigil. Nathan looked in front of each of the skeletons at the table. In front of each one was a different sigil. "Oh my gosh…" he said, his eyed going wider than saucers, "What?" Elena asked. Nathan shook his head, "It's them!" he said. He took a step back and pointed to the skeletons, "Elena, these are the pirate captains that founded Libertalia!" He walked back to the table, "What happened here?" Elena looked at one of the skeletons, who was still holding his golden goblet. "Well I'm no forensics expert," she said picking up the goblet, the skeletal hand still holding it, "But I think it was bad drinks." Nathan nodded, "Apparently. You would think that pirate captains feuding with each other would suspect something as simple as poisoning…" Elena shrugged, "Well you never know," she said. They both circled the table, slowly, looking at everything. Nathan looked and saw a small golden coin in the hand of the impeccably wigged Edward England. Suddenly he heard Elena begin to read something. She was holding up a note, "On behalf of Lord Avery," she quoted, "I invite you to my manor at sundown tomorrow. The time has come for us to abandon our petty animosities, and reunite under the banner of God and Liberty. Signed Thomas Tew." Elena looked up, and Nathan looked at her, his eyes narrowed. It suddenly became blaringly obvious to Nathan the seating arrangements. Every single one of the chairs were occupied by a skeleton…except two. Nathan quickly walked over, "What do you bet…" he said. He picked up the two sigil cards of the two empty chairs. Sure enough, the cards had the sigils of Thomas Tew, and Henry Avery. He held up the cards for Elena to see, then he tossed them back on the table shaking his head. "Looks like our hosts didn't stick around to clean up their mess," he said. "Well that wasn't very gracious of them," Elena replied. Nathan folded his arms, thinking, then he pointed around the room, "OK, so," he began, "So these guys sparked a full-scale revolt when they claimed the treasure for themselves. They took care of the colonists, but then they had to deal with each other…And I'm guessing things got pretty messy." He rubbed his chin, Elena listening. "So," Nathan continued, "Avery and Tew invite them up here, to um…What did the letter say?" Elena looked down, "Abandon our animosities," she said, "Right," Nathan picked up Avery's goblet, "Avery makes a grand toast," he said in a pompous tone of voice, "For God and Liberty!" he waved the goblet around ceremoniously, "Argh, ahoy mateys, all that." Elena laughed and shook her head, "And they all took a swig." Nathan pointed to Avery and Tew's chair. "Except for these guys…And just like that…All the treasure of Libertalia became the sole possession of two men." Nathan chuckled and leaned forward, putting both his hands on the table. "These are some of history's greatest pirates," he said reverently, "And they all perished. In an instant. At this very table." he smiled and shook his head. During Nathan's speech, Elena hadn't said a word. She just stood there, looking at Nathan, her eyes looking into Nathan's. She didn't smile. Something had clicked inside her. Throughout all of their adventures, she had always wondered why Nathan couldn't let enough be enough. He would always have to go to the end, see everything through, even if it put himself in danger. It was only now, when Elena saw how truly passionate Nathan was about this history, that she began to accept Nathan for who he truly was. She had never really done it before. "It's incredible," she said softly. "Yeah," said Nathan smiling. When he saw Elena's face, his smile vanished and his head dropped, "It's…I'm sorry," he said, "I uh…" He looked into Elena's eyes deeper than he ever had before. He stood there a few moments, "I'm sorry." He repeated. Elena smiled, "It's OK." She said. In that small exchange, they both had said everything they needed to each other. Nathan had apologized for everything in his "Sorry," and Elena had forgiven him. They looked at each other a few more moments, before Elena sighed, "So, since our missing hosts aren't here in Tew's manor…" she leaned over the table next to Nathan. "We should head over to Avery's." Nathan replied. Elena nodded, "Yeah," she said, "let's go." Elena began walking out of the room, but Nathan walked over to the note and folded it into his journal, before making a quick sketch of the pirate's version of the last supper. As he walked out, he took one last look at it all. "Honor among thieves," he said to himself. Except this time, there was no honor to be had. As they left the mansion in a hole in the wall in another room, Elena looked at Nathan and said, "I don't think it's going to last." "What won't?" Nathan asked. "Avery and Tew," Elena replied, "I think at the end of the road, Avery is going to want to be rid of Tew as well." Nathan nodded, "Well it wouldn't surprise me at all," he said. With that, they walked over to a pathway, and after a short walk, they came to Avery's mansion. To Nathan, the word mansion hardly described the place. Palace was more like it. Avery's palace was definitely much more intact than any of the others. It was in the best condition, was the largest, and the most richly decorated. On the outside alone there was ornately carved marble, gilded walls and borders, it looked like it was fit for a king. Even so, it was still covered in vines and other plants creeping over it. "Nate," Elena said, "That Shoreline truck is still parked over there." Nathan nodded, "Yeah I see it. Keep your eyes peeled." Now that they were at Avery's palace, Nathan realized how high up it really was. The other flooded mansions below spread out in front of him like a vast sea. Nathan chuckled, he wondered if Avery ever went on morning walks to just stand there and admire his work. Avery's mansion towered over all of the others, even Tew's which was directly beneath them. There was a huge hole in the brickwork to the cellar floor, and Nathan and Elena entered. Hopefully Sam was still here. "And we are officially inside Henry Avery's house," Nathan said with reverence. Even so, the area they were in now was extremely underwhelming. Nathan guessed it was either a storage room, or the servant's quarters. There were huge barrels of wine, copper pans and pots, and a table in the middle of the uneven floor. There was a fireplace covered in moss, and it looked like some sort of robber's cave. There was a huge hole in the ceiling, which let Nathan up to the first floor. When he entered, he was taken back by it all. While the other mansions in New Devon were each fabulous, this one put them all to shame. Its remarkable intactness made it shine out even more. Ornate decorations, richly painted ceilings, and furniture so beautiful that even in their mossy, moldy states they could've sold for thousands. There was a harp made of solid gold, and curtains made of silk. Nathan couldn't believe his eyes, "Word of the day," he said, "Ostentatious." Once they both got over the incredibly beauty and ornateness of the place, Elena looked at Nathan and asked, "So why didn't Avery just kill Tew back there at that supper. Was he like Avery's right hand man or something?" Nathan nodded, "Yeah that was exactly what he was." He huffed, "Can you imagine taking orders from a paranoid psychopath?" Elena chuckled, "Sounds like my first job," she said. "What, you mean the producer on your TV show?" "No," Elena replied, "My manager from Macho Nacho." Nathan laughed out loud, "You worked at a Macho Nacho?" he asked incredulous, "It was a high school job!" Elena said. "Did you have to wear one of those hats?" Nathan asked remembering the cashiers wearing those ridiculous hats made of tissue paper. "My point is, my boss was a paranoid psychopath." Elena finished. "He was the manager at a Macho Nacho!" Nathan said. "Just watch it OK?" Elena said with a chuckle. The tables and desks inside the palace were filled with fantastic treasures, golden statues shaped like animals with jeweled eyes. There was even a piano forte. Nathan walked up to it and pressed on one of the keys. While he couldn't play a piano, he did know if one could work or not. Aside from a few of the keys being off tune, and the white keys more green than white, the piano was in near perfect condition. They walked down the hallway to the next room, which had a ceiling higher than Nathan had yet seen in any of the buildings of Libertalia. It was at least fifty feet high, and the walls were white as snow. The ceiling was painted with a gigantic scene of the Crucifixion, and Nathan looked for the entry to the next room, but it had been barricaded by Shoreline. Shoreline mercenaries had thrown furniture and other heavy objects in front of the door to block their path. Nathan saw a Shoreline supply crate sitting on in the room near the door. There was a pistol and ammo box laying on it, and Nathan took them, his own pistol being out of bullets. Looking nervously around, Elena looked at Nathan, "So, where are the Shoreline mercs?" "I know," Nathan replied, "I expected to see some by now. It's like they all up and vanished." They looked around for another door, and after a bit of searching, they found another door that didn't have anything blocking it. There were muddy footprints that walked through it. Nathan pushed, and shoved, but it wouldn't budge, "It's blocked from the other side!" Nathan said. Elena walked up, "Why bother barricading their path unless…" "They found something." Nathan finished. "Here, help me open this," Nathan asked. Elena and Nathan got on either side and they smashed their bodies into it, the objects on the other side clanging to the ground. Again they smashed into it, when suddenly several bullets stung the wall next to them. "Shoreline!" Elena yelled. They quickly ran over and hid behind a pillar supporting the ceiling. Nathan got his AK out and took aim at one of the mercenaries. He shot one of them down, but more starting to empty into the room. "Sniper!" Elena yelled. He could see the sniper's red laser sight cutting through the air like a knife. He aimed and shot, but the sniper got out of the way. There were three mercenaries all crouched and aiming for Nathan in the same spot. Nathan pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin. He tossed the grenade to them, and it exploded, sending them into the air. He saw the sniper dash to another spot and he shot, bringing him down. Suddenly an armored mercenary come in holding a Gatling gun with a bipod. He threw another grenade and made a dash up the staircase to the balcony. Nathan hid behind the railing, and Elena hid next to him. Nathan only had one grenade left, and he saved it in case new troops came in. Without any warning a mercenary came around the corner and attacked Elena, grabbing her by the throat and throwing her on the ground. The mercenary pulled out his pistol, but Nathan flew into action, throwing himself into the mercenary. He straddled the mercenary and punched him mercilessly in the face. "Don't! Touch! My! Wife!" he shouted with each punch. Soon the mercenary was knocked out. "Thanks," said Elena smiling. Suddenly a mercenary started shooting from the third balcony. Nathan pulled out his pistol and aimed at the mercenary's shoulder. He shot, and the mercenary fell. Elena crouched behind the railing wall beside Nathan, when he saw the heads of two mercenaries coming at them. He crouched to attack, Elena crouching as well. One came around the corner and Nathan shot him down, the second Elena took by the neck and slammed him into a pillar, before throwing him off of the balcony. "Nice moves," said Nathan, "I'm getting back in the groove!" Elena replied. There were only a few more mercenaries in the room by Nathan's count, and no more were coming through the doors. They moved to another area, bullets chipping the marble off the top of the railing. Elena shot down one of them, and Nathan threw his last grenade down to the bottom floor. It exploded, and four mercenaries flew into the air. No more came, and no more bullets fired. He peeked his head up, but there were no more. "Are you alright?" Nathan asked Elena. "Yeah," she replied, "They were just waiting to ambush us!" Nathan nodded, "Yeah, let's get that door open and see what they didn't want us to find." They walked back up to the doors and got into position. "Ready?" said Nathan, "On three. One. Two. Three!" They both smashed into the doors, and they almost opened. They both backed up, and ran at the doors, this time smashing them open. Nathan lost his balance and ran forward into a sofa. When he looked up, he stared right into the skull of a skeleton that was lying on it. "Oh." Nathan said, "Hello there." The room they had burst into was a hallway. The ceiling was arch shaped, and gilded, and there were golden candle-holders in the walls. While the floor had some water in it, the hall was sparkling clean. No plants on the floor or walls. In the body's skeletal hand was another letter. Elena picked it up. "What is it?" asked Nathan. "It's a letter," Elena replied, "Signed by…Avery." "Really?" Nathan said excitedly, "Read it!" As they walked down the hallway, Elena read the letter from the old captain's own hand, "My loyal subjects," Elena said as the letter began, "As the sun sets on our glorious paradise, we must endeavor to preserve its riches. The traitorous Tew knows our secrets, so we must act quickly. Destroy the dam, cleanse New Devon." Nathan shook his head, "Here we go…" he said. Elena nodded and continued reading, "And move my treasure through the passage to my ship." "Tew and Avery turned on each other," said Nathan. "Are you really surprised?" Elena asked. "Pirates will be pirates," Nathan replied. Elena held out her hand for Nathan to take the letter, "Here you go," she said. Nathan took the letter and folded it into his journal. At the bottom of the letter was the infamous sigil of Henry Avery. The sideways skull and crossbones. The letter was signed, "Lord Avery." Nathan huffed, "My loyal subjects," he said, "at this point who was left?" he asked Elena, "He must've killed almost everyone so I don't know who he thinks he's talking to…" At the end of the hallway was a large room. It looked like the library, or study, and it was filled with old books. The muddy footprints continued, until they faded out of sight. "The footprints end," Nathan said, "Where did they go?" "Pirate ghosts," Elena replied with a smirk, "Let's take a look around." They began looking around the study, when suddenly Nathan saw something glint in the sunlight on the floor. He picked it up. It was a small Zippo lighter, with a star and the number 76 on it. "It's Sam's lighter," Nathan said. "Did he drop it?" asked Elena. "Yeah on purpose," Nathan replied, "Whatever it is we're looking for is somewhere around here." He looked around. There had to be sort of hidden trapdoor, there was no other explanation. "Where's the switch," Nathan asked. He looked around for a switch, but he couldn't see one. There was no lever or button that he could see. He looked inside a suit of armor, "Nate!" he heard Elena call, "Yeah?" Nathan asked, "You find something?" he turned to see Elena in front of a globe. "I think so," Elena replied. She turned the globe a bit, before touching something. Suddenly a staircase dropped down. The staircase had been part of the floor beforehand. "It's a good thing they figured that out for us," said Elena. "How did you do that?" Nathan asked. "There was a bloody fingerprint where Libertalia should be and I…pushed it." Elena shrugged. "Nicely done," said Nathan. They both began descending the stairs, which lowered down into what looked like a dark, grey dungeon. As they went down, Elena asked, "So the letter said that Avery was moving his treasure to the ship." 'Yeah," Nathan replied. "So you think that the treasure is still on the island?" Nathan kept walking down the steps, which spiraled further and further down, "Uh I think…" he said, "I think it doesn't matter anymore." They made it to the bottom of the stairs, and there was a curved stone archway, above which was a brass shield with Henry Avery's sigil on it. He took a deep breath, then entered the dark passageway. If he would've known the horrors inside, he may not have even entered.


	15. Chapter 15: Avery's Descent

Chapter 15

Avery's Descent

Nathan got his flashlight out of his belt and switched it on, "There we go," he said. The passageway began to look less and less like a passageway, and more and more like a cave. There were even stalactites hanging from the ceiling in between the brickwork. As if it wasn't creepy enough, water dripped from the ceiling, and slithered down the walls. Nathan walked forward a bit more until they came to a large iron bar gate. It looked like it was the entrance to some dreadful medieval dungeon. There was a spoked wheel to open the gate, and Nathan turned it. The gate clanked upwards, squeaking and groaning. Suddenly it got stuck just half open. Fortunately it was more than enough room for them to crouch through. "Watch you head," Elena warned. When they got over to the other side, Elena huffed, "Well it looks like Avery built himself a panic cave." Nathan chuckled. There were dusty roots drooping down from the ceiling, and several rats scurried away from Nathan's flashlight. "I wonder where this goes…" Nathan said. They took a few steps forward when suddenly there was a loud snap, and the gate crashed onto the ground. "Ah crap…" Nathan said. "Well I guess we're going to find out." Elena said. Nathan sighed and shrugged, and they both turned and faced the darkness. "This place doesn't look very stable," Nathan said. They walked through the dark passageway, which would occasionally open up into a larger chamber. There were old metal torches on the walls, though none of them were lit. After a bit, Nathan saw more fresh footprints on the ground. "Look," Nathan said, "They must've come this way." Elena looked at them, "That's a lot of footprints," she said, "Let's take this slow." They followed the prints down a bend in one of the larger chambers. There was another path, but it was blocked by large rocks. Suddenly Nathan's flashlight began to grow dim, then it flashed before going out. Nathan tapped it a bit, and it switched back on. If the flashlight would go out, at least Nathan had the lighter to hopefully light one of the torches on the walls. The eeriness of the passageway was enough to make Nathan's skin crawl. Everything was so dark and damp. No color, everything was an ugly shade of grey. Suddenly there was a low rumble, and the ground shook a little. Dust fell from the ceiling. "What was that?" asked Elena. "My money's on Nadine's men," Nathan replied, "They'll use any excuse to blow up stuff." "They'd have to be pretty dumb to use it in here," Elena said. "Yeah, they're pretty dumb," Nathan replied. Suddenly the flashlight began to dim again. "Uh oh," Nathan said tapping on the flashlight. "Did you bring any spare batteries?" Elena asked, "Yeah," Nathan replied, "But they're at the bottom of the ocean." "I won't ask," said Elena, "I won't tell," Nathan replied. Suddenly they came to a large chamber, "Whoa! Whoa, hold up!" Nathan said. The chamber's floor was made up of wooden squares, though some of the squares were missing. Below the squares were huge metal spikes. Impaled on one of them was an open mouthed skeleton staring upward. "Sam and the others still made it across," said Nathan, "Look, there's footprints to the end." Nathan and Elena both cautiously started walking onto the wooden squares. It creaked and groaned like the staircase of a haunted house. "Wouldn't be so bad if it didn't creak so much," said Elena. They both made doubly sure not to stray outside the footprints. "Just make sure you don't go where the footsteps aren't." Nathan said. He heard Elena chuckle, "What?" she said. "I'm just a little preoccupied with not being skewered right now," Nathan replied. After a few more squares they made it to the end of the trap. There was a large chamber at the end, and Nathan breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped on solid ground again. "And…unclench." He said. 'Whew," Elena replied. He followed the footprints to the end of the chamber, and they led to a blocked entry. "They must've walked in and it collapsed in behind them," Elena said. Nathan nodded and crouched down. Elena crouched behind him and they both tried to life up the wood and stones. They grunted and heaved but it was no use. Suddenly Nathan's hand slipped and he dropped the beam. When he did, the shock of the impact caused a huge boulder to drop in front of the entry, blocking their path for good. "We'll have to find another way," Nathan said. The flashlight began to dim once more, "Oh no, just hold out a little longer!" Nathan begged. The light then died. Nathan and Elena was enveloped in nothing but crushing darkness. Nathan couldn't see his hand in front of his face. There was no light whatsoever, just pitch blackness. He pushed the buttons, tapped it, and punched it. Nothing happened. He sighed. "Hey," Elena said, "You still have Sam's lighter?" "Yes!" Nathan replied, "Good idea!" he took it out and flicked it. Nothing. "What?" Nathan said. He tried again and again, but there wasn't even a spark. "Of course he used it all up," Nathan said with borderline fury, "Smoked like a chimney on the way over!" He heard Elena sigh, "Relax, I brought some matches." She said. She lit one and Nathan was just able to walk over to her. Suddenly it went out. "Ow, sorry," she said, "Just…one sec." He heard her walk over a bit further to the other side of the room. Nathan was left by himself, without the slightest idea where he was. He waited a bit longer. "Hello?" he asked. He heard Elena call back, "Over here!" she said. He carefully walked over, feeling in front of him like a blind man. "Ow! Ow, that's my head!" he said after hitting a stalactite on the ceiling. More moments of pitch blackness. He didn't move. He might get lost if he went on without knowing where he was. Suddenly the cave was lit up by fiery, dark orange light. Elena had lit one of the torches on the wall, and it cast strange shadows on the walls. It was a far eerier light than the white brightness of the flashlight. Elena lit a second torch and handed it to Nathan, "Thanks," he said, "Glad you came prepared." "Somebody had to," Elena replied. Nathan chuckled, "Well we got nice, romantic lighting," he said. Elena laughed, "You have a funny idea of romantic," she said. Nathan shook his head. They both looked around, until Nathan noticed that part of the ceiling had a large hole in it. "Hey, this looks promising," Nathan said, "Here I'll boost you up." Elena got onto Nathan's shoulders and jumped up into the hole. "Here," Elena said giving Nathan her arm. Nathan took it, and Elena pulled Nathan up until Nathan was able to pull himself up. This part of the passageway had a very low ceiling. Nathan had to almost crawl through the corridors. "Watch your head," Nathan said. There were a lot of split passageways, and Nathan and Elena followed right behind each other so they couldn't get separated. At the end of one of the low passages was a room. Nathan had to jump down into it. He jumped down about eight feet until he hit the ground, Elena behind him. When he looked up, he gasped in horror. Dangling from the ceiling, tightly packed by rope in bunches were dozens of human hands. "Whoa…" Nathan said. Elena looked at it with wide, unbelieving eyes. "What is this…" Elena said, "This is…creepy." The sheer amount of severed hands hanging from the ceiling almost made Nathan sick. At the end of the room was a sign. Nathan read it, "The hands that stole from me." He looked at Elena, "Wow," he said, "Avery's not even pretending to be sane at this point." "I don't like this place," said Elena. "Me neither," Nathan replied, "Let's get out of here." As they fled the room, Elena shook her head, "Man," she said, "Avery was a total nut job." Nathan huffed, "I mean it was bad enough that he killed all of them, but to cut off each of their arms and hang them up…ugh…That's beyond creepy." They began making their way through the next tunnel, which was looking less like a dungeon and more like a mineshaft. The walls were supported by wooden beams, and there were spiny, dead roots poking through the ceiling like claws reaching down to grab them. Of all the horrors he had witnessed in Libertalia, this was the most horrifying. They entered another chamber, which was larger than the previous one. This room was a storage chamber for Avery's leftover gibbets. Hanging from the ceiling was one, with a skeleton inside. They walked out of the chamber until they came back to another narrow passage. Nathan saw something strange hanging from the wall. He walked up to it, "Wait," he said, "Is that…a mummy?" The thing roped to the wall was a dead body wall wrapped from head to toe in cloth bandages. There were three of them all staring at each other. Some of the mummy's skulls were exposed, others were covered. He cautiously walked inside, when suddenly their chests lit up with a spark. They looked like they had caught on fire. Nathan rolled out of the way when suddenly all three of them exploded like bombs. He stepped back, his ears ringing. Nathan and Elena both stood there, gasping and stunned. "You OK?" Nathan asked. "Yeah, I think so," Elena replied, "What was that?" Nathan sighed, "Trap," he said, "Avery really didn't want any trespassers down here." They both carefully began walking into the chamber, "Watch your step," Nathan said. "Who me?" Elena said, "You're the one who tripped it." "Fine," Nathan replied, "watch my step." Nathan walked into the tunnel, dust was everywhere, and it choked Nathan's mouth, drying it up. He coughed. He saw three more exploding mummies in front of him. He tiptoed towards them, but they lit up. He rolled out of the way and they exploded. His ears rung terribly. "Ah," Nathan said. He looked at Elena, "Just stay behind me," he said. After a short distance they came to six mummies all strung up on the wall. Their gaping mouths and vacant eyeless stares looking into the other wall. He walked up to one, but it didn't trigger. He took another step. Nothing. He walked past three of them when suddenly all six lit up at once. There were three ahead of him, and Nathan leapt forward and rolled on the ground when they exploded. Nathan was stunned for a second, before he regained himself and shook his head. He heard Elena coughing behind him. "Ugh…Are you OK?" Elena asked. Nathan winced and got up, "Yeah." "Well now we know what caused those explosions we heard earlier," said Elena. "Yeah," Nathan replied, "No wonder so many parts of this passage have caved in." He walked to the very end of the tunnel, but it was a dead end. "Oh no…" Nathan said. Suddenly he heard Elena, "Hey Nate!" she called, "I found a shortcut!" He walked back over to her. She had taken a detour down another tunnel. "How do you know it's a shortcut?" Nathan asked. "Trying to be optimistic here," Elena replied. There was a steep slope down to the room below. Elena slid down, Nathan following. When they entered the room, they saw even more bones hanging from the ceiling. "Looks like Avery decorated this chamber too," Nathan said. There, flickering in the torchlight, were dozens of ribcages all hanging from the ceiling. There was another sign that read, "The hearts that hardened against me." They quickly left the room and went down another passage. There were more mummies inside the chamber. Nathan carefully walked, but they lit up, and he darted around the corner. They exploded, and Nathan looked back. The explosion had caused the ceiling to cave in, blocking their path. "Well, we can't go that way now," Nathan said. They turned around and headed down another path. There were still more exploding mummies. Nathan looked at them, "Now don't explode. OK pals?" he said. "Just…careful," Elena said. He walked by and none of them exploded. Then, the last one blew up without any warning. "Agh! What did I just say!?" Nathan shouted. He got up and walked further down the passage until he came to another slipperly downhill slope about forty feet long. He slid down right into three mummies, which all lit up. He got out of their way and they exploded. He coughed violently. "Oh, this stuff can't be healthy to breathe," he said covering his mouth with his shirt. He heard Elena call from the top of the slope, "Nate, are you OK?" "Fine, yeah, fine!" he yelled, "I just wish you'd brought ear plugs! Am I yelling!?" The room had one last mummy inside that hadn't detonated with the others. Nathan walked up to it. "Nate, careful!" Elena said. Nathan nodded and looked closely at it. "Man," he said, "Avery's gone all Egyptian. Except this mummification wasn't you know…voluntary." They continued down the passageway until they came to a stone staircase that led down. Nathan noticed a strange, blue light was coming from the bottom, almost purple. He walked down the steps. It was a flare, and just after the flare he saw the footprints again. "Well we're back on the trail," Nathan said, "The footprints go that way." Elena came up to them and looked. "Be ready for a fight," Nathan said. Elena smiled, "Alright," she said. They followed the footprints down the passageway. Nathan entered another chamber and suddenly he saw the burned body of a Shoreline mercenary. There was an explosion hole of a mummy directly in front of him. "Looks like this guy wasn't paying attention," Said Nathan. They walked down into another chamber that had a blue flare in it. There was a large puddle in front of them. Suddenly Nathan saw a grenade sail through the air, "Elena get down!" Nathan shouted. The grenade exploded, and Nathan got behind a corner of the wall. Bullets started screaming past Nathan's ear. "You idiots trying to bring the whole place down!?" Nathan shouted. The mercenaries responded by unloading their clips at Nathan. Nathan got out from behind the corner and shot one of the mercenary's down. He had the cover but they didn't. Elena hid behind a part of the wall that jutted out. She was in front of Nathan on the other wall. Nathan and Elena took down the three mercenaries inside the chamber, but three more came in. Nathan had a scoped rifle and he took aim as they charged inside. Nathan was able to immediately shoot one down, but the other two kept coming. These were Nadine's best forces, and they had far more accurate weapons. Suddenly the mercenaries started coming directly at Elena. Nathan blew out of his cover and shot one of them down, then took cover beside Elena. One of the mercenaries came around the corner, but all he received was Nathan's rifle butt to the face. Suddenly, a gigantic mercenary walked inside. He was covered in armor, and was carrying a fully automatic machine gun. Nathan rooted through the body of the mercenary he knocked out with his rifle butt. He had a single grenade. Nathan took it, pulled the pin, and threw it at the armored Special Forces mercenary. It exploded and the mercenary fell. Another mercenary replied by throwing a grenade next to Nathan. Before it exploded Nathan grabbed it and whipped it back at the mercenary that threw it, killing him before he could react. Two more mercenaries came in, and Elena took one down. The others hid, and unloaded their magazines. Nathan rolled into the chamber. Several wooden crates were inside, and Nathan hid behind one of them. Another mercenary entered the chamber. One of them ran out and started attacking Nathan. He punched Nathan in the face, but Nathan punched him back, before grabbing him by the back of the head and slamming his face into the crate. "Oh that's gonna hurt!" Nathan said. The mercenary fell unconscious, and Nathan took his grenade, and threw it at the other mercenaries in the room. It detonated, and several of the mercenaries flew into the air. No more mercenaries were in the room. Nathan and Elena rushed down and out of the chamber. There was a corner in the passageway, and suddenly a mercenary jumped out and threw Nathan to the ground. Elena ran over, and kicked the mercenary in the head, before knocking him out. She helped Nathan up with a smile, "Now we're even," She said. They ran down the hall until they came to another chamber. Two masked mercenaries were inside. Nathan took cover behind a pillar inside the chamber. One of the mercenaries saw him hide, and he slowly walked over. Nathan saw his shadow approach through a blue flare. Nathan pulled out his pistol and got out of cover, shooting the mercenary down. Suddenly five more mercenaries entered the room and all went prone. Nathan couldn't get a clear shot on any of them without being in terrible danger of being shot himself. Suddenly he noticed that there was an exploding mummy right next to them that hadn't been set off. Nathan wondered if shooting it might detonate whatever was inside them. He took a shot at the mummy, and it exploded, killing every Shoreline mercenary there. They ran out of the chamber and came to an extremely narrow passageway. Suddenly there was another Special Forces mercenary, and the most well armored one yet. He was like a walking tank, and he slowly marched forwards towards Nathan. He pulled out one last grenade and threw it at the mercenary. It exploded right in the mercenary's face, but he kept moving. Nathan emptied his clip, but still nothing. Then he saw two exploding mummies, one on either side, and the mercenary was walking right for them. When he was directly in-between them, Nathan shot one of them, and they both exploded. The mercenary fell to his knees, before he fell down on the ground. "Well for once I appreciate Avery's exploding mummies," Nathan said. There were no more mercenaries in the tunnels. The huge Special Forces op was their last ditch attempt to kill Nathan. In the commotion, Nathan and Elena had dropped their torches, but they picked up two of the flares and held them up. Suddenly they entered another chamber filled with bones. This time, hung up on the walls and dangling from the ceiling were human jawbones. The sign read, "The mouths that spoke ill of me." Nathan shook his head, "I'd hate to see this guy's Christmas tree," he said. They looked down at the ground, but there were no footprints. "We must be on a different route than the others," Elena said. The next chamber they entered was one of the largest they had seen. Inside were over two dozen dead skeletons, each with weapons either in their hands or in their ribcages. "Looks like a fight broke out," Elena said. Nathan nodded, "Yep. Tew's men versus Avery's." "Dead men tell no tales," Elena said. At the end of the room was a large metal gate. Nathan walked up to it and opened it. The skeleton sitting beside the gate tipped over. In the skeleton's hand was a small metal object. Nathan picked it up. It was some kind of key. Nathan put it in his pocket. "Hey, what's that note?" Elena asked. Nathan picked it up. It was from Thomas Tew to his men. It read, "Lieutenant Barton, Even now, Avery is readying his escape. If we allow him to leave these shores, he will surely disappear. Along with our treasure. This master key will open the gates in the depths of his tunnels, but be wary Lieutenant. He will no doubt expect us to pursue him. While you and your men search the tunnels, I shall take a small detachment of men through the valley so we may cut off his escape. If God grants us the victory, by sundown tomorrow we shall be pirates once more, sailing to unknown ports with the treasure in our hold, the wind in our sails, and the freedom to live as we choose. I for one have seen enough of this accursed island. God Speed. Signed, Captain Thomas Tew." He flipped the note around. On the other side were the words, "Death to those who stray from this path." There were drawings that looked like sigils in the center of squares. Nathan realized that they may have been solutions to the wooden square trap that they had encountered previously. He put the note in his journal. They walked through the gate and came to another room. This one was a large chamber filled with exploding mummies. Nathan carefully entered, and one of them triggered. He dodged out of the way, and it exploded. Several more blew up with it. Many of the mummies inside this chamber didn't explode, and Nathan and Elena were able to walk past them without a hitch. Every time he passed one Nathan got more and more uneasy. "You gonna explode? Huh?" he said passing one, "No? What about you?" That one didn't explode either. He entered another chamber with six mummies. As soon as he entered all six of them lit up. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" he said. He leapt out of the way and hid behind the corner of the wall. They all exploded. "OK, OK, OK, you done?" he asked. Elena walked in, "Whew," he said, "Just another day at the office." Elena shook her head. They continued down the passageway, and this one fortunately didn't have any mummies, or at least they had all been exploded already. "Oh. My ears just popped," said Elena. "Yeah, we're definitely descending," Nathan replied. Suddenly they came to another deathtrap. No footprints to guide them. "What now?" Elena asked. "We follow Tew's instructions," Nathan replied. He took out Tew's note and looked at it. He had the entire grid down on the note, with a skull and crossbones on each bad square. Nathan carefully walked on the designated path, Elena following close behind. The squares still creaked and groaned agonizingly. Nathan carefully stepped on each square, and successfully made it through. He gasped with relief as he stepped back on solid ground, "Aha! In your face Avery!" he said. At the end of the chamber Nathan saw light, sunlight, at the end of the tunnel. "That's our way out of here," Nathan said. He threw his flare on the ground and walked forward. It led to a huge cave room, though there was a huge hole in the ceiling that let the sunlight come in. However, entering the room they were met by a dozen exploding mummies, though none of them exploded. Hanging from the air were over three dozen skeletons. Each of them were hanging in the air by their feet, their arms were tied behind their backs. Some had their hands missing. "Ah…Are those the rest of Tew's men?" Elena asked. Nathan nodded, "Probably. We know Avery liked to make an example of his enemies." "Well he certainly liked making exploding mummies," Elena replied. Nathan nodded, "Yeah. Let's tread carefully in here." They carefully walked to the end of the room with none of the mummies exploding. Nathan saw another iron gate. It was locked, though there was a keyhole. Nathan held up the key with a smile. He was about to put it in when Elena stopped him, "Wait, it could be a trap." Nathan shook his head, "Yeah, well we really don't have much of a choice…But, I have a good feeling about this one." He looked at Elena, who was nervously biting her lip. "Do it," she said. She winced as Nathan inserted the key. Nathan winced as he turned it. The gate opened, and Nathan pushed it open fully. He laughed, "You see?" Suddenly they were lurched off the ground. They had been caught in a net. With Elena in his arms, Nathan chuckled, "Well at least we didn't get blown to bits." Bang! One of the mummies exploded as if on cue. Nathan patted his knife sheath, but it was empty. "You didn't happen to bring a knife by any chance?" he asked. Elena shook her head, "No…But that guy's got a sword!" Nathan looked, above them and to their left was a hung up skeleton with a sword in his chest. "Help me swing this thing!" Elena said. They started swinging their legs back and forth. One of the mummies lit up and exploded, then another. Nathan Swung with all his might, but they weren't swinging fast enough. He reached out and tried to grab the sword, but he wasn't close enough. Bang! Bang! The last two were dangerously close. He reached out again, and he touched it with his fingertips. Another mummy exploded, and Nathan could feel the shockwave. Another swing, and he reached out and grabbed the sword. "Got it!" he yelled. He pulled his hand back and swung at the rope. It snapped and he fell to the ground. Elena got up and began running, "Nate!" she shouted. Nathan got up, two mummied lit up right next to him. "Come on!" Come on! Go! Go!" Nathan yelled. He ran out of the chamber and into a tunnel, with mummies lining the walls. They exploded behind him, Nathan could feel the intense shock they produced. He rushed down the hall, several mummies lighting up in front of him. They blew up right as he passed them, and he tripped. He regained balance just in time. "Don't look back, just run! Don't stop!" They began to explode faster, but Nathan sprinted even faster. "Nate!" Elena called, "Move it! Let's go!" There was a large wooden beam I front that Nathan couldn't see. He tripped on it and fell. Elena ran back and tried to help him up. Nathan struggled to his feet, when a mummy exploded directly behind them. It threw them down, and holding onto Elena, Nathan rolled down a muddy slope, and fell eight feet into a large puddle. Elena landed on top of Nathan, and she rolled over beside him. With rocks and debris falling beside him, Nathan coughed and breathed heavily. He sat up "Thanks Captain Avery," he said. He shook his head and chuckled, "Just like old times huh?" No answer. "Elena?" still no answer. Nathan looked at her. She was laying on her side, with a pale expressionless face. "Elena?" he said frantically, "Elena! Come on! Elena don't do this! Please don't leave me! Elena!" he patted her cheek, but there was no response. Suddenly she moaned, "Mmm…My…Hero." She smiled and opened her eyes. Nathan shook his head, "Oh no, you didn't do that," he said. Elena laughed, "No!" Nathan said, "That's not funny!" Elena sat up, "Oh no, you have done much worse!" Nathan huffed, "You gave me a heart attack!" he laid down in the mud. "Ohh," Elena said, "Let me listen," she laid down and put her ear up to Nathan's chest. "Hmm," she said, "Sounds good to me." Nathan shook his head, still breathing hard, "You realize," he said, "We are now even for everything I've ever pulled alright?" Elena narrowed her eyes and looked at Nathan, "No," she said shaking her head, "Not by a long shot." They both laughed and Elena brushed off Nathan's face, "Gosh, you've got mud everywhere," she said. Nathan put his hand on his wife's cheek and looked into her eyes. He smiled, "Anyone ever tell you…You've got a funny idea of romantic?" Elena smiled, "Yeah." She said, "Yeah, I may have heard that somewhere before." Elena smiled and leaning over, they both kissed each other lovingly. When they finished, Nathan smiled and brushed some of Elena's blonde hair away from her eyes, "Good talk," he said. "Good talk," Elena replied. Suddenly they heard a loud explosion outside. "That's gotta be Sam," Nathan said getting up. They both started leaving the cave gratefully. "Well at least the gunfire means he's still alive," Nathan said, "For now." The cave exit turned out to be an out cove, with the sea in front of them, and two cliffs on either side. They both climbed up the side of the cliff and after climbing to the top of the cliff, Nathan noticed something in the water. He looked down into the ocean and saw, beached on the rocks, a gigantic pirate ship. It was a huge galleon, broken in two pieces and decaying on the rocks. Its tall mast still stood, and Nathan wondered if this was the very galleon that had delivered supplies to Libertalia. He walked over to the other side of the cliff ledge and stood there, stunned. There was an inlet of the ocean that formed a small bay, and sitting in the bay were the wrecks of ten other ships. "It's a ship graveyard!" said Nathan. He wondered if these were actually the founder's ships. The ten here, plus the eleventh back there accounted for eleven of the twelve founders. The only other ship missing was Captain Avery's. They both continued along the cliff. After a bit they heard another explosion. "We're getting close," Nathan said, "Come on!" They both hurried along until they looked down and saw there on the beach, was a group of mercenaries. He saw Sam jump onto the wreck of a ship and run away, the mercenaries shooting mercilessly at them. "That's Sam," Nathan said, "He's surrounded," Elena replied. He got out his rifle and took aim at the mercenaries on the beach. He was able to shoot one of them down. Suddenly he heard Elena shout, "Nate! They're behind you!" he turned to see Elena shooting at one of the mercenaries with her pistol. He shot one of them down with his rifle, and then he jumped down to another ledge of the cliff, making his way down to the beach. Sitting on the cliff ledge behind a box, he saw at least a dozen mercenaries all shooting at him from onboard the decks of the wrecked pirate ships. He took aim at one of them and fired. He fell down. None of them could throw grenades up to him this high, though Nathan was mostly worried about snipers. Suddenly he saw a man with a sniper rifle crawl up to the crow's nest of one of the ships. He shot him before he could climb up, and he fell down onto the ship's deck. He saw Elena jump down onto the ship's deck, and Nathan jumped down after her. Running onto the deck, Elena was picked up by a mercenary. Nathan shot the mercenary down, and Elena fell to the deck and got back up. They took cover behind the mast, then behind a pile of supplies. Suddenly a grenade came Nathan's way. He rolled away from it and it exploded, destroying their cover. Nathan saw a Shoreline supply box, and on top of the box was a sniper rifle, ammo, and two grenades. Nathan took the sniper rifle and looked through the scope. He sniped three mercenaries before a Special Forces op appeared far away from the ship. He was holding a grenade launcher. Nathan aimed for the op's chest and shot. Nothing. Another shot, but nothing happened, he was wearing bulletproof armor. He saw him come closer to the ship. Nathan tossed the two grenades over to him when he was in range. They both exploded, and he fell down. The ship was half beached, and Nathan was about to jump onto the sand when suddenly five mercenaries appeared out of nowhere from the jungle. They rushed down towards Nathan, spitting lead. Nathan shot two down immediately, and Elena was able to shoot down another. When the remaining two got close, Nathan tossed a grenade out, and it took care of them. With no other coming, they both got out of the ship and onto the beach. They ran a short distance until a huge rock blocked their path on one side and an unclimbable cliff blocked the other. Nathan looked around and saw one of the wrecked ships had a large hole in its hull. Nathan and Elena walked into it. There was water inside, but it was only a few inches deep. When they entered, suddenly a grenade launcher shot in front of Nathan. He dove out of the way, and it exploded behind him. "That was way too close," he said. He took aim at the grenadier and fired. He fell. It was the only mercenary inside the hull. They ran over to the other end of the hull and walked out another large hole. "Alright," Nathan said, "Where did Sam go?" "He went that way!" shouted a mercenary on the beach running perpendicular to Nathan. "Well there's your answer," Elena said. They ran along the beach until suddenly three mercenaries came out of nowhere, and began shooting at Nathan. Nathan hid behind a fallen palm tree. Elena shot blindly, but was able to bring down one of the mercenaries. He saw six more mercenaries come into the beach. He threw two grenades out at them, and they both exploded, sending them into the air. No more mercenaries came. Nathan was running out of bullets, and he took one of the guns off of the mercenary's bodies, along with several grenades. They ran past the ship and into a gully. There was another shipwreck right next to them. Elena pointed at it, "Look!" she said, "There's Sam!" Nathan looked to see Sam on top of the ship, unable to run away, "He's pinned down," Nathan said. He got into position behind the mercenaries shooting at Sam. He shot one of them down, and Elena got another. He heard Sam yell, "Hey! Fight fair you morons!" The mercenaries suddenly noticed Nathan and Elena, and they turned their attention to them. They started shooting at Nathan, but Sam was able to shoot one of them down. He saw Sam throw a grenade at the remaining mercenaries. They all flew into the air. "Up here!" Nathan shouted looked at Nathan. Nathan gave him the thumbs up. He walked up to the part of the ship Sam was on. "Man, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Sam called. "Yeah," Nathan replied, "How about we get off this beach huh?" "Absolutely," Sam replied. Sam threw down a wooden slat ladder. Nathan climbed up. "Hey, did you find my lighter?" Sam asked. Before Nathan could answer an RPG exploded the deck, and Nathan and Sam fell to the ground. Nathan and Sam groaned and struggled to their feet. Elena dropped down into the room, which was some sort of bunk room, but there was no cover, and they were out in the open. "We're sitting ducks in here, come on!" Sam shouted. "We gotta take out that RPG!" Elena yelled. Sam looked around, "The cliffs! We can take cover there!" Sam pointed to the cliffs, but they would have to fight their way there first. There was a large building built almost directly onto the cliffs, and Nathan took cover behind a wooden support, then shot one of the mercenaries down. Elena and Sam made their way to the cliffs. Sam quickly came beside Nathan and took aim at the mercenary with the RPG. He shot him down, "Rocket man's down!" Sam yelled, "Grab his RPG!" Nathan saw it at the very far end of the wooden structure. He jumped across a gap in the planking. A mercenary came from around the corner and tried to attack Nathan, but he dodged and slammed the mercenary's face into the wall, before charging forward. He jumped across another gap and grabbed the RPG. There were three rockets. He took aim at one of the ships which was filled with mercenaries. He was now high above the bay of ships, and he took aim and fired. The explosion sent over a dozen mercenaries into the air. He was able to blow up seven or eight with his second shot. Another ship was directly beneath them, and its mast spanned the distance between the cliffs and itself. "That's our way across!" Sam shouted pointing to it. Nathan and Elena shot down the rest of the mercenaries on the ship before running across the mast and onto the ship. Nathan hid behind a Shoreline supply crate. "Hey Nate! Our friends are back!" Elena called. He saw ten mercenaries arrive onto the scene. He got out a grenade and threw it. It exploded, and almost all of the mercenaries fell. The remaining three shot at Sam and Nathan. Elena was hiding almost out of sight, and she was able to take down two of them, Sam taking down the other. Suddenly, three Special Forces ops came lumbering onto the scene, each carrying massive machine guns. "Run!" Sam shouted. The three of them made a dash to the ship's hull. They jumped down into the second deck, passing cannons and artillery. Suddenly a huge explosion sent one of the cannons back, blocking Nathan's path. One of the Special Forces ops had another RPG. "Nate?!" Elena shouted, "I'm good! Just go!" Nathan replied waving his hand. Suddenly another explosion went off right in front of Nathan. Suddenly, he felt himself tipping backwards. He fell down, the entire front half of the ship had broken off and was falling into the water. Suddenly Nathan was underwater, and the entire open part of the ship was blocked by a huge underwater boulder. He swam up to take a breath. The ship was slowly sinking, and the water level was rising. Suddenly there was no more air pocket. Nathan swam into the captain's cabin, but the air pocket there was disappearing as well. He shoved himself above the rising water. It was no use, before the air pocket was gone, he took a deep breath and plunged back underwater. He desperately looked for an exit, and suddenly he saw an opening in the wall. He swam up and to the surface. He was right in front of the beach. Before he could even get a breath, a Shoreline mercenary started shooting at him. There were four mercenaries in front of him. Nathan got onto the beach and hid behind one of the wooden crates. Suddenly, there was something much bigger shooting at Nathan. It was the same kind of truck that had terrorized Nathan and Sully in Madagascar. "Ah, how many of these trucks did you bring Rafe!?" Nathan said. He shot down the four mercenaries The truck began shooting at him, but Nathan took cover. Suddenly the truck turned and looked like it was driving away, "Oh, thank God it's leaving!" Nathan said. But it wasn't leaving. It pulled forward into a different position. Nathan took cover, and suddenly he noticed an RPG laying on the ground. He took it and fired at the truck. The round exploded. He shot again, and the engine blew up. He sighed. No more mercenaries. He looked around for some ammo, and after reloading his guns he started jogging off to find Sam and Elena. Suddenly, erupting into the beach was yet another Shoreline truck, armored, and ferocious. "Ah you gotta be kidding me!" Nathan shouted as he began to run. He ran inside a house and climbed up to the second floor, when suddenly the truck burst into the house, splintering it. Nathan rolled onto the ground. He looked to see the front of the truck. The bumper was crooked, it's engine was sparking, and it's grille was steaming. He ran down the narrow street of some small village. The truck screamed forward and shot a hail of bullets down on Nathan. He suddenly saw a flight of stone stairs in front of him. He ran up them like a rabbit running for its life. He jumped up onto a building. "I'll just hide behind here," he said, "They can't get me here can they?" To answer, the truck rammed into the building, and it slowly began to tip over. "Oh, why? Why? Why!?" Nathan yelled. He jumped off the building and onto the roof of another building. He slid down the roof until he hit the ground. He grunted and got up. He turned his head to see the truck turn towards him. He threw himself up, "Man these guys just don't give up!" the truck groaned and the tires screamed as it drove forward. Nathan ran down the streets, the truck chasing and shooting relentlessly. Nathan jumped onto a wooden platform, then back onto the street. The truck plowed through the platform, wood flying everywhere. With that, it slammed into the side of a building and halted there for a few moments. "Good thing for me you're a terrible driver!" Nathan yelled, "And an awful shot!" There was a wooden gate ahead of him inside a stone archway. Nathan jumped up onto the gate, and threw himself over it. Nathan got out of the way before the truck smashed through the gate, sending stone pieces into the air like shrapnel. The truck then slammed head-on into a building, leaving a sizeable impact crater. Nathan got up and started running, but the gun turret pointed back at him. He ran around a corner, but the truck backed up and continued its hot pursuit. Suddenly he stepped on a rotten wooden deck, and he fell down into a gully. The truck shot past him, and it's engine exploded. He looked up the other side of the ravine and saw Sully holding an RPG, "Sully!?" Nathan shouted. "How you doing Nate?" Sully asked. The truck began shooting once again. "Throw me the RPG!" "You got it!" Sully replied. Sully tossed the RPG down. Nathan took aim at the gunner's turret and fired. It exploded and hit the car's engine. "Finish those losers will ya!?" Sully shouted. "My pleasure!" Nathan yelled back. He loaded in the last rocket and took aim. The turret and engine both blew up in a spectacular fireball, and the RPG fell onto its side. "For God and liberty, moron!" Nathan shouted. He tossed down the RPG and shook his head, "Eh, that sounded better in my head…" "Nice work kid!" Sully shouted. "Yeah, thanks for the assist!" Nathan replied. Sully helped Nathan out of the ravine, and they gave each other a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Good to see you kid," Sully said. "Yeah, in the nick of time," Nathan replied. "Yeah well, got a little antsy waiting around to hear from you two," Sully said. Nathan shook his head, "We need to find Sam and Elena still." "Hey!" called a voice. It was Elena. She jogged over, "What happened? Are you OK? We heard those explosions and we thought…" Nathan chuckled, "Yeah well it was all this guy," he pointed to Sully. Elena smiled and put her hands on her hips, "You saved his butt again?" "Naturally," Sully replied, "You doing OK?" Elena nodded, "OK. Yeah there were some close calls but um…he covered me." Sam sheepishly walked forward. Nathan and Sam awkwardly exchanged greeting. "How's that?" asked Nathan looking at Sam's bloody and bandaged arm, "Oh," Sam said, "Bullet grazed my shoulder. You?" "Cliffside," Nathan replied, "Grazed my face." A few more awkward seconds of silence, "So how'd you lose Rafe?" Nathan asked. Sam smiled, "I led him and his crew right into one of Avery's traps." Nathan nodded, "OK, good." Sam sighed, "Hey, look. About the whole Alcazar thing…" Nathan held out his hand, "Hey just…We can save that for later OK?" He walked back to Sully, "Which way?" he asked. "On the beach," Sully replied, "Other side of town." Nathan nodded and he, Elena and Sully started walking away, "I hope that ruckus didn't attract any attention," Elena said. Sam suddenly walked forward, "Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on. What are we doing?" Sully shook his head, "Well what do you think we're doing? We're getting off this blasted rock!" Sam nodded, "Right, right, right, we could do that…Or we could head in that direction," he pointed to the mountain shaped like the wolf's head, "Which is a shortcut." They all stood there a few seconds, "Shortcut to what?" Sully asked. Sam sighed, "To Avery's treasure!" he replied, "I mean Rafe's gotta go all the way around but we could just-" "Hey screw the treasure!" Sully said. Sam smiled and chuckled, but not in a humorous way, "Uh, Victor with all due respect maybe just-" "You just don't know when to quit!" Sully said. Sam sighed, "Look we're all here for the same reason right?" Everybody looked at Sam, and Nathan gave him a look. Elena shook her head, "Look, Sam we didn't come here after the treasure, we came after you." "And I appreciate that, I do," Sam replied holding out his hand, "But we're good. And we got the lead, for now." He chuckled, "We can do this." They all stood there, nobody moving. Soon, Sam's eyes locked onto Nathan's. "Nathan, come on," he said, "Huh? OK, Avery scuttled every last ship on the island. You know why?" "Because he was bent on keeping his treasure," Elena replied. "Exactly!" said Sam, "No matter the cost to others around him," Elena finished. Sam sighed, "Because he didn't want anyone to follow him," he said, "Because he was leaving. Look at this," Sam pulled out a map, and Nathan reluctantly took a look at it, "This is Avery's map of the island," he said, "OK? That is his ship! Right under that mountain! That's where our treasure is, and it's exactly where Rafe is heading right now, while we're standing here arguing like idiots!" Sully pointed over to the ocean, "Well what if Avery's already left the island and his ship is sunk there in the bottom of the ocean?" "Then we find out where it got sunk," Sam replied with avarice in his eyes. Sully shook his head and sighed, "Oh boy," he said. Sam went back over to Nathan, "How long have we been chasing this thing huh?" he asked, "You and me. I mean no offense to these guys, but they don't get it." Nathan sighed and looked at the ground. He shook his head. "Actually Sam, they do." He said in a low voice. He nodded, "They really do." He put the map back into Sam's hand. Sam's face looked deflated, but Nathan was finally seeing himself through Sam. "Trust me, they've seen this kind of obsession before." He put his hand on Sam's shoulder, "Sam look…We're not those kids anymore. We're not. We've got nothing to prove." Sam looked at Nathan a bit longer, before he held out both his hands. He stepped back and nodded. He sighed deeply, "Victor, where's that plane?" he asked. "Right this way," Sully said pointing. Nathan watched as Sam and Sully began walking forward. Elena came up from behind him and patted him on the shoulder, smiling. Nathan nodded. He started following. "Is it far?" Elena asked. "Not very," Sully replied, "Just past this port town." As they walked, Nathan was thinking. Throughout his many adventures he had never seen himself outside the box. While everybody around him was begging him to stop, begging him to end his obsession, he had never done so. Now, he was finally able to see how he acted through Sam. An obsessed person willing to put other people's lives in danger for the sake of treasure. He was always Nathan Drake. That two-bit thief risking it all for some piece of treasure. He guessed that's how people knew him; how they would remember him. But that wasn't who he was anymore. Now he realized that through all of those years he had been playing with fire, and now he was trying to keep Sam from making the same mistake. After a bit Elena asked, "What if Shoreline set up an ambush by the plane?" "They didn't," Sam replied. "And what makes you so sure?" Elena asked, "Because they headed to the mountain." Sam replied with a sigh, "To the treasure." Soon, they walked through the port town, and they saw the plane sitting in the water. "it's a long drop," said Elena, "How did you end up here?" Sully chuckled, "I climbed a few walls, I guess we'll have to find another way around." Suddenly they heard an explosion, "What was that?" Sully asked. "It's one of Avery's traps," Sam said. "Well good, that means they're blowing themselves up." "No," Sam replied in a low voice, "It means they're on the right track." Nathan sighed, "Let's just stay focused alright?" They kept going, until they reached a wooden bridge. The bridge spanned one part of the town with the other, and below it was the ocean, a forty foot drop. It looked awfully rickety, but they decided to risk it. Elena walked on it first, then Sully, then Nathan. When Sam's turn came, he stood there, not crossing it. "Sam come on," Nathan said. Sam didn't move. Sam then looked at the mountain. "No," Nathan said, "Sam don't even think about it, you hear me!" Sam took out a knife, and cut the rope to the bridge. The bridge fell to the ground. "I'm sorry I got you guys into this!" Sam said. "Look all of that doesn't matter now!" Nathan said, "I have to see this thing through Nathan," said Sam. Sam started to run off over to the mountain, "Sam!" Nathan called, "Hey, listen to me, if you do this, I'm not coming after you! You hear me!?" Sam sighed, "I'm sorry!" he said as he turned and ran towards the mountain, "Sam!" Nathan yelled, "Sam!" Nathan growled, "Stupid, stubborn…" "He called your bluff," Sully said. "He's gonna get himself killed," said Elena. She began running over towards the mountain, "She's…She's probably right," said Nathan. "Of course she is!" replied Sully. He sighed and they began making their way over, "Over here," Elena said, "We might be able to head him off." Nathan shook his head, "I'm going to save him, and then I'm going to punch him!" "Well let's just worry about the saving part for now," said Sully. Nathan huffed, "Why couldn't he just… I mean after everything we…Wasn't this enough?" His words stopped him in his tracks. How many times had Elena asked him that, especially on his hunt for Iram of the Pillars? How many times had others begged him to stop, only for him to disregard their advice and going on anyway. He sighed, "Let's just find him," he said. They went on for a bit, going further into the town, which went further inland. He saw a wall that led into the jungle, but it was too high for Nathan to climb up. There was a wagon in the middle of the courtyard. Nathan started pushing it, but he couldn't quite push it. "Here," said Elena, "We got you." They both got next to Nathan and started pushing with all their might, it was an uphill slope to the wall. After heaving and shoving, they pushed it next to the wall. Nathan engaged the rusty brakes. "Alright," Nathan said. Suddenly the brakes broke, and the wagon started creaking backwards. Elena and Sully held the wagon, "This isn't going to hold," Sully grunted. "Nate, go!" Elena shouted. "No, I got it," Nathan said. He tried to hold the wheel, but it broke and started going back further. Nathan huffed and jumped onto the wagon, before taking a flying leap onto the wall. Sully and Elena let the wagon go, and it crashed into a building, both front wheels falling off. "Blast it," Sully said, "Now how are we going to get up there?" Elena thought for a moment and sighed, "We don't have enough time," she replied. Sully shook his head, "Nate, no, not by yourself." Nathan sighed, "Look, I'll come back OK?" "Look," said Sully, "He is not going to leave without a fight!" "Then I'll fight him if I have to," Nathan replied, "But either way I'm bringing him back. Just get the plane as close to the mountain as you can. And be ready for a quick getaway." Sully huffed, "Like there's another kind," he said. Elena walked forward, "It's not fair." She said. Nathan looked at her, "huh?" She looked at him, "Doing the dishes, we take turns." She said, "Don't even think about not coming back." Nathan smiled, "I love you." He said. Elena watched as Nathan turned and left. "Same to you," she said. With that, Nathan began looking for Sam.


	16. Chapter 16: A Thief's End

Chapter 16

A Thief's End

Nathan jumped down the other side of the wall, leaving Elena and Sully behind. He began making his way towards the mountain, climbing on cliff-sides and suddenly, after a bit, he came across a set of footprints. He knelt down and nodded, "Sam!" he shouted, "Sam!" No answer. Even if Sam was in the area Nathan doubted he would've answered. He was so preoccupied with finding Sam he didn't notice the spectacular scenery. The mountains spread out in front of him, misty and almost purple. He kept following the footprints, making his way through the cliffs. The footprints kept going on, "Well you didn't fall to your death so that's good," Nathan said, "Means I still get a chance to kill you…"

He had walked up the side of the mountain, and he saw Sam's footprints enter a cave that descended downwards. "Here we go," Nathan said. He we prepared for whatever was down here. He walked into the cave, which didn't quite end up going completely dark. There was usually a hole in the ceiling, and sunlight poured inside. He saw a wooden bridge in front of him. He cautiously walked onto the bridge, and it snapped. He fell to the ground and started sliding down a muddy slope. The slope dropped off, but there was a cliff-ledge in front of him. Nathan got into position, and jumped up. "Whew," he said as he started climbing along the ledges. He entered a room of the cave that was filled with water. He saw a large turtle climb into the water and swim away, followed by a frog. He climbed off the ledge, and jumped down to the one below it. He was descending down the cave, towards the water. He saw the ledge end, and drop down quite a bit. He latched his grappling hook to one of the rocks and jumped off the ledge. Dangling in midair, he suddenly looked down. There, sitting in the middle of an underground lake was the biggest, most magnificent treasure galleon Nathan had ever seen. He gasped, "It's Avery's ship," he said. He started to lower himself down, but the rope ended. He looked around, but there were no handholds on the cliff. He looked below. The drop was about twenty feet. He dropped down, flailing his arms and legs to slow his fall. He hit the water and sank down about thirty feet. He swam back up to the top and took a breath. The water was deep, and Nathan swam to the other side, towards Avery's ship. He was inside the chamber adjacent to Avery's ship's chamber. He couldn't see any way to get into the ship's chamber. Nathan went underwater, and he saw the cave wall had a hole in it. He swam through the hole into the ship's chamber. When he surfaced, he came up behind a rock and just a short distance away he saw a Shoreline boat parked next to a wooden deck. There was a single mercenary, accompanied by Nadine Ross. The mercenary was loading the entire Gunsway treasure into her boat. There were two large chests, each filled with two hundred million dollars' worth of gold and jewels. Nadine walked over, she was wearing a white tank top and long military pants. "We almost done here?" The mercenary slammed the chest into the boat, "That's the last of them ma'am," the mercenary replied. "Good," Nadine replied, "If we hurry we can catch up to the others," Suddenly a boat began driving away towards Avery's ship. Nadine looked at it and sighed. She had a feeling she knew who it was. Coming down the deck was a mercenary, followed by Rafe, who didn't look happy at all. "Sam just stole our boat!" he said. He grabbed Nadine's arm, "He's headed for Avery's ship, come on!" Nadine shook off Rafe's grip. Nadine shook her head, "Let him," she said, "We're done." Rafe stared at her, incredulous. "We're done!?" Rafe said angrily, "Most of my men are dead Rafe," Nadine replied, "And those who aren't have already left." Rafe stood there, staring at her with eyes half-open. He looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His face turned extremely angry, "Do you see that?" he said pointing to Avery's ship, "The end is literally in sight!" "That maniac pirate of yours has rigged this entire cave," Nadine replied, "I'm not setting foot on his ship!" Rafe shook his head and looked at her, "Nadine, if you cut and run right now…the loss of all your men, everything we've done…is for nothing. Nadine shook her head, "We have millions in gold right here. I'd say that plus our lives is something." Nadine began walking away, but Rafe stood where he was, looking into the wall. "No wonder so many of your men abandoned you." He said. Nadine stopped in her tracks and turned around, "Excuse me?" she said clenching her fists. Rafe turned around, "We're on the verge," Rafe said, "Of making history here, and you're willing to just walk off with a fraction of what Sam's going to get from that boat." Rafe breathed deeply, sweat going down his forehead. Nadine took a step towards Rafe, "If he can walk away from there alive…he can have it. Hey, I'd say he's earned it." Her eyes narrowed, "God knows you didn't." Rafe stood there, glaring at her. Suddenly he slapped Nadine in the face. "Now look," he said with fury, "We can just stand here and insult each other all day, or we can finish what we," Nadine grabbed Rafe and punched him in the gut, before bringing him down to the ground. Nadine pulled out her pistol, "Oh were finishing it alright!" Nadine was about to shoot Rafe, when she heard two guns cocking. Both of the mercenaries there aimed their guns at Nadine. "Sorry ma'am." One of them coolly said. One of the mercenaries helped Rafe to his feet. With a hand on his stomach, Rafe coughed and then looked at Nadine. "Thing about mercenaries Nadine," he said, "Their loyalty…it's bought. It's not earned. Nadine held her pistol out, but she wasn't aiming at anything. "Now come on," Rafe continued, "Either we can finish this thing together…Or we can just end it right here." Nadine slowly put her pistol back in the holster. "Let's go make history," she said shrugging. "That a girl," Rafe said in a low voice. He held out his hand to the boat, "By all means," he said. Nadine slowly got onto the boat, and she and Rafe took opposite positions inside, Nadine glaring at Rafe. The boat started and they drove away. Nathan watched them leave. When they were gone, Nathan got out of cover and swam over to the ship. He climbed up the side of the ship and got onto the main deck. There were barrels and other supplies, the main mast towering above him. It was an incredibly fancy ship, gold lined the deck, and there were cannons on the deck. He saw a hole in the main deck and he jumped inside. He looked around him. There, surrounding him on every side, was gold. It was the lost treasure of Libertalia. The entire floor was covered in gold coins, there were gold statues, entire chests filled with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. He suddenly forgot all about Sam, Nadine and Rafe. He looked at it all, and shook his head. Overwhelmed, he bent down and picked up a gold coin. He looked at it, there was Henry Avery's sigil on it, and the Gunsway on the other side. He shook his head, "There it is," he said, "Another treasure in the palm of my hand. How many chances at a normal life have I thrown away?" he sighed, "And in the end one question remains: was it all worth it?" He flipped the coin onto the ground. Suddenly there was a huge explosion. Nathan fell to the ground. Flames starting to spread into the treasure chamber. "What was that?" he said. He walked forward, past immense piles of treasure. He didn't care about any of it. He walked over to the next chamber. He looked at the door and opened it. When he did, smoke and sparks filled the doorway. He coughed and waved his hand in front of his face. The next chamber was a huge cargo hold. There was even more treasure, some hanging in nets from the ceiling. There were flames all over the room, "Sam!?" Nathan yelled. No answer. There was no treasure on the floor, except for large piles of gold coins stacked up in the perimeter of the room. There was a huge cloud of smoke in the room. Suddenly Nathan heard a pistol cocked. He whipped out his. It was Rafe. There was blood dripping down one side of Rafe's face, and his impeccably slicked back hair was messed up for once. "Hey Nate," Rafe said. "Where is Sam?" Nathan demanded. Rafe coughed, "Oh he's right there," he replied. Nathan looked. Sam was pinned underneath a huge wooden beam. He wasn't moving, and his eyes were closed. "Sam!" Nathan called. Rafe rolled his eyes, "Relax, he's alive. You know this idiot nearly got us all killed." Nathan glared at Rafe, "I'm getting him out of here," he said. Rafe narrowed his eyes and his face was covered with rage, "No, you're not," he replied in a low voice. Nathan shook his head, "Look Rafe you can have all the treasure OK? Just let me save my brother!" he coughed. Rafe laughed, "After everything he's done!? How noble of you…But no." "We stay here any longer and we're all dead," Nathan said, "This ship's about to burn down! Is that what you want!?" "That's not what I said," Rafe replied. "What do you think Nadine?" Nathan looked behind him. Standing in the doorway was Nadine, pointing a pistol at Nathan. "Good to see you up and about," Rafe said, "Be a dear and relieve Nate of his gun." Nadine slowly walked down the steps. "Hand it over," she said. Nathan looked at her, "You really think you can trust him?" he asked, "huh?" "Not your concern," Nadine replied. Rafe huffed, "Now why are you trying to instigate?" he said, "Nate? Nadine and I are partners. I don't screw over my partners." Nathan handed Nadine his gun, "Get over there," Rafe said. Nathan walked over. "You and your brother though," Rafe said, "Right from the start you took advantage of my generosity, you tried to cut me out and it's high time you learned-" Suddenly Nadine put her pistol to the back of Rafe's head. Rafe sighed and ground his teeth together, "What are you doing?" he asked. "Now you give me your gun," Nadine said sternly. Rafe scoffed, "Nadine," she cocked her pistol and Rafe's smile disappeared. "I won't ask you again," Nadine said coldly. Rafe sighed and slowly put his pistol behind his head. "You are being…profoundly stupid right now," Rafe said. Nadine took a few steps back and Rafe turned to face her. "Look over there," Nadine said pointing to the right. "Nadine," said Rafe, "Stop screwing arou-" Nadine shot at Rafe's feet. "Nadine!" Rafe screamed. "I said look!" Nadine shouted. "OK," Rafe said, livid, "It's a couple of skeletons. So what!?" "I don't know as much about history as you boys," Nadine replied, "But I have a pretty good idea who those two are." "Well enlighten us," Rafe said. Nathan knew who they were. They were both wearing captain's clothing, and they both had cutlasses stuck in their chests. "It's Avery and Tew," Nathan said, "They killed each other." "Good for them," Rafe replied, "What's the point." Nadine looked at them, holding two pistols in her hands, "Everyone obsessed with this treasure," Nadine replied, "Gets what they deserve." Nadine began walking out of the room. "So what you're just leaving us here to die?" Nathan asked. Nadine stopped just behind the door, "Oh I'm just leaving," she said, "Whether you die or not I don't really care." "Nadine!" Rafe shouted, "Wait!" "So long Rafe," Nadine said. With that, she slammed the door shut. "Nadine!" Rafe shouted punching the door, "Nadine! You open this door right now!" He slumped over, his fists clenched. "Rafe!" Nathan shouted, "She's gone! Come on, give me a hand and we'll all get out of here." He went over to Sam and tried to move the beam. Rafe's face was irate, "Oh no," he said, "Oh no that won't work." His fists were clenched and he was breathing hard. "Come on Rafe, help me with Sam and I'll help you open the door!" Nathan pleaded. "I'm not going to be able to enjoy one of these coins," Rafe said, "Knowing you and your worthless brother are still sucking air." He bent down and pulled the cutlass out of Avery's ribcage. Nathan got up slowly and backed up. "OK just…Just hold on, you can practice your fencing when we get outside." Rafe held up the cutlass threateningly, "Nate! Just shut up!" he yelled. He held his cutlass out and advanced towards Nathan. "Rafe come on, this is insane, even for you," Nathan said. "You want to hear insane!?" Rafe shouted, "Nathan Drake raced a madman, and his entire army, to the steps of Shambhala!" He pounced, and swung his cutlass at Nathan. Nathan dodged the attack and got up. Rafe turned and looked back at Nathan, "Nathan Drake found the lost city of Iram in the middle of the Rub' al Khali Desert!" Rafe's words were filled with jealousy. He walked up to Nathan and pulled the cutlass back before swinging at Nathan again. The blade screamed past Nathan's ear, brushing against his hair as he dodged. Rafe yelled, and swung again. The cutlass hit Nathan in the belt, but didn't cut him. Nathan rolled back and stood back up. "Come on we can get out of here together!" Nathan pleaded. The flames were filling the room, which was now almost completely on fire. Sparks and smoke filled the room. Rafe continued his ranting, "Nathan Drake discovered the fabled El Dorado." Rafe stabbed forward, Nathan dodged, and Rafe followed by swiping forward. Nathan was able to dodge both attacks. "Come on Rafe!" Nathan begged, "Stop!" "Nathan Drake is a legend," Rafe laughed, "You know, I shot the man who told me that." "Look I get it you don't like me very much," "You know, for all your greatness Nate," Rafe said, "You are nothing! I warned you…to stay out of my way!" Rafe walked forward and swung. He cut Nathan's shoulder, though not deep, the blood came out. He swung again but Nathan dodged. Rafe was pushing him into the corner. Before he could swing, Nathan punched Rafe in the face, and tried to grab the cutlass. He tried to force Rafe's arms down, but Rafe struggled. Nathan pushed his arms into the wall and pinned them down. Rafe yelled and head-butted Nathan's forehead. Nathan fell to the ground on his back, and Rafe got on top of him and tried to force his cutlass into Nathan's throat. Nathan used all his might to push Rafe's arms away from him, "I have sacrificed everything to find Avery," Rafe shouted, "and I'm not gonna let a couple of two-bit thieves, a senile con-man, or a useless journalist take that away from me!" Rafe shoved his cutlass down, intense hatred fueling his muscles. Nathan could feel the sharp blade starting to press into his throat. He winced, "Enough!" he shouted. Nathan was able to throw Rafe off of him, and he rolled over next to Thomas Tew's skeleton. He desperately pulled the cutlass out, Rafe got up, and raising his cutlass, he swung. Nathan yanked the cutlass out of the skeleton and he blocked Rafe's attack, sparks bursting from the impact. Rafe was tripped, but he regained his balance. Rafe turned to face Nathan, "You care about that parade of losers so much," Rafe said, "I'm going to make sure they join you." Nathan gritted his teeth, "Shut up and fight!" he said. "That's the spirit," Rafe replied, "You know how to swordfight?" "Yeah," Nathan replied, "I stick you with the sharp end right?" "Oh this should be fun," Rafe said. They squared each other off. Nathan clutched his cutlass. Rafe was the first to go on the offensive. He swung his cutlass and Nathan parried. The cutlasses started clanging together, sparks flew with each cut. Rafe swung again, but Nathan beat Rafe's sword down. Before Rafe could recover, Nathan punched Nathan in the nose and kicked him in the kneecap. Nathan tried to swing down on Rafe's face, but Rafe blocked and grabbed Nathan's arm. "Come on Nate!" Rafe growled. Rafe took his arm back and cut Nathan in the forearm. "Ahh!" Nathan shouted in pain. "Oh," Rafe said, "Sword's still sharp. Rafe attacked again, hitting Nathan's sword this time. Nathan swung, but Rafe got out of the way, and they circled each other. Nathan attacked, but Rafe dodged and grabbed Nathan "Hold…Still!" Rafe shouted. Nathan kicked Rafe's kneecap and his leg buckled. He escaped the struggle. They swung at each other, steel striking steel. Nathan shoved Rafe away from him. "Come on, quit prolonging the inevitable," Rafe said, "My arms getting tired!" Nathan didn't reply. Rafe shouted and sliced Nathan's shoulder, the fabric of Nathan's shirt split, and the wound started bleeding. "Did that hurt?" asked Rafe. Nathan was back in the corner, and Rafe brought his sword down. Nathan blocked, and their swords crossed. "Now we're getting somewhere," Rafe said. Nathan held back Rafe's sword with both hands. Nathan shouted, and sliced Rafe's sword out of the way, before cutting Rafe's hand. Rafe recovered, and stabbed forward, but Nathan dodged out of the way. Rafe shouted and attacked with renewed ferocity. The sparks flying from their swords blended with the sparks from the fire inside the ship. It was beginning to get extremely hot inside the ship, and some of the gold coins close to the flames were melting. Rafe slashed and hacked, Nathan desperately blocking his vicious attacks. Nathan tried to go on the offense, but Rafe blocked and almost cut Nathan's arm. Rafe held up his cutlass and brought it down hard on Nathan's cutlass. Sparks flew, and Nathan parried another follow-up attack. Nathan tried swiping at Rafe's neck, but Rafe dodged and attacked. Nathan parried and sliced down on Rafe's sword. He then punched Rafe in the face. Rafe grunted in pain. He tried to grab Rafe's arm, but Rafe grabbed Nathan's body and he threw him on the ground. Rafe raised his cutlass high above his head, and Nathan was just barely able to get his cutlass into a defensive position. Rafe slammed his cutlass down onto Nathan's. "This…might hurt a little," Rafe said. Nathan pushed Rafe's cutlass out of the way, "Get off!" Nathan shouted. Rafe's cutlass wasn't in a defensive position, and Nathan took his chance and sliced Rafe. He cut him in the lower stomach. They both rolled away from each other. Rafe stood back up and put his hand up to the wound. Blood covered his hand. He snarled. "Come on 'legend'." Rafe said. He charged forward, "Yaaah!" Rafe landed a ferocious blow to Nathan, then he spun around and slammed his cutlass into Nathan's. Rafe punched Nathan in the nose. Nathan reeled, stunned. Rafe swung, and Nathan parried just in time. Nathan brought his cutlass in for a power blow. Nathan couldn't parry in time, and Rafe slashed him in the arm. "Come on!" Rafe screamed. Rafe was in total control of the duel, and he knew it. The hacks and slices sent more sparks into the air. The fire continued to intensify around them. Rafe swung down, but Nathan was able to parry and elbow Rafe in the nose. Rafe recovered and grabbed Nathan's arms, locking them in place, "Come on Nate!" Rafe shouted. Nathan escaped the struggle and rolled on the ground. He was able to swipe at Rafe's leg and get a cut in. Rafe winced and brought his leg up before he looked back at Nathan, his eyes wide open for once. "Come on!" he screamed. They both crossed swords, before Rafe swiped down. Nathan dodged and Rafe swung down, yelling. Rafe got behind Nathan and tried to lock Nathan's arms. Nathan shouted and used Rafe's momentum against him, flipping him onto his back. Rafe quickly got up. Nathan shoved Rafe into the wall. He stabbed Rafe in the shoulder. Nathan raised his sword above his head and tried to bring it down, but Rafe held his sword up and blocked the blow. Rafe kicked Nathan in the gut and swiped at him again. Nathan suddenly felt a surge of energy surge through him. He shouted and began wildly swiping and slashing. Rafe fell back until he was stuck in a corner. They both crossed swords, their muscles straining. Nathan pushed and shoved, Rafe pushed and grunted, but he was being pushed back, "Now that's the Nathan Drake I hear so much about," Rafe said. With one final shove, Nathan pushed Rafe into the wall, his sword right up to Rafe's neck. "Alright! Alright!" Rafe said. His eyes were half-closed once again in the agony of defeat. "We're done here," Nathan said in a low tone of voice, "I'm taking my brother and we're leaving. You want to stay here and burn with the ship you be my guest." Rafe looked at Nathan, "You got me," he said. Suddenly Rafe sliced his sword out of the lock, and slashed Nathan in the thigh. Nathan yelled in pain, and Rafe kicked him to the ground. Nathan's cutlass was flung out of his hand. Nathan gasped for breath and saw Rafe walk towards him, his cutlass in front. Nathan tried to crawl out of the way. "You know what Nate," Rafe said, "Underneath all the bravado you're just a sad little boy with delusions…of grandeur; who by the way can't fence to save his life. So long, Nathan Drake." Rafe brought his cutlass up for the death blow, "Nathan!" it was Sam. Sam was holding Nathan's cutlass and he sent it across the floor. Nathan grabbed it and sliced Rafe's sword away from him. Rafe growled, and brought it back up, hacking down harder than he ever had before. Still on his back, Nathan blocked three vicious attacks, "You don't know when to give up, do you?" Rafe shouted, "That's good! Don't hand it to me!" He brought his sword down on top of Nathan's, the blades crossed, Nathan's back on the ground. "I've had everything handed to me, on a worthless, silver platter." Nathan shoved him away, but Rafe gave him three more devastatingly hard blows with each word, "Everything!" Clang! "Except!" Clang! "This!" With his final blow, Rafe brought his sword down so hard, Nathan's blade broke off. Nathan laid there, staring up at Rafe, nothing but the hilt of the sword and four inches left of the blade. Rafe loomed over Nathan, a satisfied smile on his face, pointing his sword at Nathan's throat. "I earned this," he said, "All of it." Suddenly Nathan saw that Rafe was underneath one of the treasure nets hanging from the ceiling. There was about a half ton of treasure inside. He looked beside him, the rope that held the treasure net up was right beside him. "You want the treasure Rafe?" Nathan asked, "It's all yours." He sliced the rope with the few inches of blade. Rafe looked at the ceiling and Nathan rolled out of the way. Before Rafe could dodge, the net fell on top of him, crushing him to death underneath a massive pile of gold and jewels. Nathan gasped and got up. He let the sword hilt go, and he ran over to Sam. The ship was beginning to groan as it burned. Fire was weakening it, and if they stayed inside for even a minute, the entire top deck could collapse on top of them. Sam was trying to lift the huge wooden beam, and Nathan got beside him, pulling with all his might. "Hey, come on let's get you out of here," said Nathan. They both heaved harder, "I'm trying," Sam grunted. It was no use. Sam shook his head, "It's too heavy," he said. "Just try again!" Nathan pleaded. They both tried once more, but it was too heavy. "It's no use," said Sam. "Try again!" Nathan shouted. Nathan struggled to lift it, but it wouldn't budge. "Nathan!" Sam said. Nathan desperately tried to lift it once more. Sam grabbed Nathan by his shirt collar, "Nathan! Listen to me!" he said. Nathan looked at Sam. He looked into Nathan's eyes, "All I ever wanted to do was find this treasure with you," Nathan shook his head, "Sam, no! Shut up!" Sam shook his collar, "We did it!" Sam said, "We did it little brother, OK? It's alright." Nathan shook his head, "Sam, no. There's gotta be another way!" "Nathan," Sam begged, "You have to go!" "There's got to be something!" Nathan said. Sam shoved Nathan out of the way, "Nathan go! You gotta go! There's no other way! Go back to Elena!" Nathan got up, his hands behind his head. The ceiling started to groan louder than before, and wood was beginning to fall. "Nathan I have to know you made it out of here alright!" Sam said. Nathan backed up, not leaving. "Nathan the whole place is about to blow up!" Sam yelled. Suddenly Nathan saw something. It was a cannon sitting in the middle of the floor. "That's it!" he yelled. He took up a piece of wood and lit the fuse. "What are you doing!?" Sam shouted. The cannon fired into the floor, and water began flooding the room extremely quickly. The water level rose and Nathan ran over to Sam, "Now! Do it now!" Sam took a breath and pushed, the water helping. He was able to squirm up out from under the beam. He stood up and Nathan beckoned, "Come on!" he shouted. They both took a breath and swam out of the hole in the bottom of the ship. When they surfaced, the ship cracked and split in two. Suddenly it exploded, and another explosion went off right beside the ship on the cave wall. They started desperately swimming to the exit. Suddenly, huge boulders began falling from the cave ceiling near the exit. Nathan swam for his life and the ship broke apart into three pieces. The mast began to tip over, "Nathan, look out!" Sam shouted. Nathan saw the mast falling on top of him. He dove underwater. The mast crashed into the water, and Nathan saw the crow's nest fall in front of it. He swam out from under it and surfaced. The cave ceiling was cracking, and gigantic boulders were crashing into the water, just in front of the exit. Nathan swam faster and faster. Sam shouted something to him but Nathan didn't hear. All he could do was swim. More boulders hit the water, some landing almost right on top of Nathan. The only thing Nathan could think of was Elena. He had to make it back to her…alive.

Staring at the entrance, Elena saw the entire thing collapse. It was completely blocked, and there was a huge cloud of dust billowing out of it. Elena rushed to the edge of the water, and he saw Nathan and Sam swimming towards the shore. Elena's heart skipped a beat, "Oh Nate! Nate!" she ran to the shore, "Come on, I got you," she said helping him onto shore. Nathan gasped for breath and laid down on the shore, heaving. Sam swam up to the shore and Elena helped him up. He laid down on the shore himself and coughed. Elena stood up and smiled. She got out her radio, "Hey Sully, I got 'em." She said. "Where are you?" Sully asked. "Right here," Elena replied. She pulled out a flare gun and aiming for the sky, she fired it. A small, red fireball flew into the air and exploded. A few moments later and Nathan heard the motor of the plane coming for them.

Nathan stared out the window. There was Libertalia, the great pirate ruin. He stared out at Avery's mountain, where the treasure laid at the bottom of the ocean. Mist cloaked the mountains, and a pinkish tint from the sunset gave it an almost other-worldly kind of beauty. Sam stared out wistfully, and Nathan sat down beside him. They both looked into each other's eyes. Nathan smiled and gave Sam a pat on the knee. Sam nodded, then looked back at the island.

Several hours later they made it to King's Bay, Madagascar. Elena and Sam were talking to each other one side of the dock, and Nathan gathered his things with Sully on the others. The sun had gone down and the dim light of the moon began to rise in the sky. None of the stars were out yet, but it wouldn't be long. The lights on the dock gave a warm orange glow to the water below him. Nathan zipped up his bag. "So, you got everything?" Sully asked. Nathan nodded and stood up, "Yeah, I guess so. Feel free to sell anything I left behind." Sully chuckled. "Sure I can't give you a ride home?" he asked. Nathan shook his head, "Well, after the last few days I think I want a plane with drink service and reclining seats. Plus uh…" he looked towards Elena, "She and I have a lot to talk about." Sully nodded, "Yeah, you do." Nathan gave Sully a look and chuckled, "And no more late night phone calls about one last time…" Nathan laughed, "I promise." He said. He opened his arms, "Thanks Sully," Nathan said as they embraced. Sully sighed, "Take care kid," he said, "And don't be a stranger." Nathan nodded and picked up his bag, "Hey next time you're in town, drinks are on me." Sully chuckled, "I'll hold you to that," he said pointing his finger at Nathan. Nathan smiled and he walked off over towards Sam and Elena. As he walked up, he saw Elena smiling and laughing, and Sam talking, "And then the bunny," he said, "escapes anyway and leaved little bunny surprises all over the headmasters bed. Man was he-" Nathan decided to end the conversation, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, what are you telling her?" Elena snickered and looked at Nathan, desperately trying to squelch a laugh, "Just about your little magic show phase." Nathan glared at Sam, "Oh you little…" "What was your stage name?" Elena said biting her lip to keep from laughing. Nathan shook his head and sighed. "Go on, tell her," Sam said. Nathan shrugged and sighed. He looked at Sam, then at Elena, "Nate the Great." He said. Sam laughed, "It's not funny," Nathan said defending himself, "It makes sense, it rhymes." Sam held out his hands and looked at Elena, "In his defense he was pretty good; there was just that one mistake," Nathan put his bag down on the dock. "Look Sam," Elena said, "It has been an experience getting to meet you." Elena held out her hand for Sam to shake. Sam looked at Elena, "A handshake?" he asked, "Bring it in for the real thing," Sam opened his arms and he and Elena gave each other a hug instead. While they hugged, Sam whispered into Elena's ear, "You take care of this numbskull will ya?" Elena smiled, "Yeah I will." She replied. Elena took Nathan's bag and began walking for the car. "I'll be there in a sec," he said looking at Elena. She nodded. Sam took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. "I like her," he said looking her way, "Lord help her, she sure seems to love you." Nathan chuckled. Sam took a drag on his cigarette, "Listen the offer still stands," said Nathan. Sam shook his head, "I appreciate it, but I'm good," he replied. Nathan looked at Sam, "Hey if it's just because you feel like you're imposing you're not. We talked about it," Sam waved his hand, "It's not that," he said, "OK, it's a little bit of that, but…I guess I just thought that after we found Avery's treasure that I'd be…satisfied?" Nathan chuckled, "Yeah," he said. "Instead I just have this strange feeling of…" "Emptiness." Nathan finished. Sam nodded, "Yeah," he replied, "Yeah that's it." Nathan nodded, "Well you know, as thrilling as the next adventure might be, in the end…you're always left with that same feeling. Sometimes you just have to choose what you're going to keep…and what you're going to let go." Sam chuckled and took another drag on his cigarette. "Well…" Sam replied, "I guess I'm not there yet. Besides, you got a few ancient cities on me and I can't let that slide." Nathan shook his head, "Ah I left a couple out there," he replied. They both chuckled and Nathan saw a cab pull up. He saw Elena wave. "Oh, well there's my ride," he said. "Yeah," Sam said with a nod. Nathan stood there and looked at his brother, "Sam," he said, "We've come far." Sam nodded, "We sure have little brother," he said. They both embraced each other. Nathan gave Sam a pat on the shoulder, "Listen don't do anything I wouldn't do alright?" Nathan said. Sam shook his head, "Ahh…Get out of here. Vamoose!" he waved Nathan off. Nathan chuckled and walked off. Sam watched as Nathan and Elena got into the car and drive away, Nathan waving until he drove out of sight. Sully walked up beside Sam, "Got a light?" he asked. Sam nodded and gave Sully his lighter. After a bit Sam looked off into the distance, "So, Victor," Sam asked, "What's next for you, huh?" Sully lit his cigar and chuckled, "Well before I got dragged into this," he said, "I was working on a business deal of sorts." Sam nodded, "Of sorts? Hmm. Dangerous?" Sully shrugged, "Ehh…With this people, yeah…It's up there." Sam nodded, "Well I happen to know someone, recently out of prison, who might be perfect for this kind of work." Sully shook his head, "Ooh, I don't know. Is he trustworthy?" Sam took a drag on his cigarette, "More or less," he replied. Sully chuckled, "That'll do," he replied, "Come on." With that, he began making his way to his plane, a trail of cigar smoke trailing behind him. "Hey, you got any more of those cigars?" asked Sam. Sully didn't look back. "Don't push your luck!"

Signing papers was one of Nathan's hated pastimes. Inside his office at Jameson's Marine, Nathan signed his name on a form, stamped it, and repeated the process with yet another sheet. He sighed, maybe risking his life treasure hunting wasn't so bad after all. The pen signed, the stamp pressed. Next sheet. The door opened, and sighing deeply, Jameson entered the room. Nathan smiled and looked up, "Hey, good morning!" Nathan said cheerily. Jameson smiled and laughed his jolly laugh. "Indeed it is," Jameson said looking out the window, "Indeed it is." Jameson laughed again and shook his head. Nathan sighed, "Alright I'll bite," he said, "What's going on? Land a big contract or something?" "Oh, even better," Jameson replied, "I'm on the verge of selling Jameson Marine." Nathan sat back in his chair, "No kidding?" he asked with wide eyes. Jameson sighed again, "Yep," he replied. Nathan sat there a few seconds, processing everything. After a moment he threw up his hands, "Wow," he said, "Well I uh…Uh, I guess congratulations are in order then!" "Well not yet," Jameson replied "But I'm confident it'll go through…They drove a hard bargain. But in the end I think we both came to a…mutually beneficial agreement." Nathan nodded, "Well hey, that's great. Are you going to stay on?" Jameson walked over to the desk and pulled out one of the drawers, "Oh, no, no, no. I think I'd just like to relax…hang with the family…Go fishing every chance I get." He chuckled. He took out the keys to the Marine and began walking for the door. Nathan chuckled, "So who's the sap who's going to buy this place?" Jameson stopped at the door, "Oh, uh, you are." He tossed Nathan the keys and opened the door cackling. Nathan sat there stunned, "What?" he said, "Come on, no, seriously!" Jameson turned around, "Oh yeah, seriously!" he said. He turned and laughed. Nathan got out of his seat, "Jameson, wait! Hey, wait up man!" he ran out of his office, and he was met by Elena. She smiled brightly when she saw Nathan, "Hey!" she said, "Morning guys!" Jameson stood in front of Elena, Nathan between them. Nathan looked at Jameson, then Elena, then the keys in his hand. "What are you doing here?" Nathan asked. Elena looked at Nathan, "Oh no, just thought I'd take…one final look." Jameson looked at Elena, "Just gave your husband the keys." Nathan held out his hand, "Wait, is this for real?" Jameson put his hand on Nathan's shoulder, "All you need to know is that you're making a very wise investment," he said, "Do the right thing here." He patted Nathan on the shoulder and started walking off, "Call me when you're through," he said. "Will do," Elena called back. Nathan was about to call after Jameson, but he stopped, and turned to look at Elena, a dumbfounded look on his face. Elena smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "Hi," she said with a grin. "Hi," Nathan replied, still confused, "You're buying Jameson Marine?" Elena looked at Nathan, "We are buying Jameson Marine," she replied. "Oh," Nathan said, "OK…How? Why?" Elena stood there a moment before replying, "Well, I heard this rumor of a salvage job off the coast of Malaysia and I thought it'd be right up our alley." She walked off to the bench at the edge of the water. Nathan shook his head, "Oh, honey, no…look. We barely got out of Libertalia alive." Elena leaned over the railing above the water, staring into the river. "Yeah," Elena replied, "I mean taking an illegal job," Nathan continued, "You know what that leads to!" Elena looked at Nathan, "Who said it was illegal?" she asked. Elena pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, "Here," she said, "Got these this morning." Nathan took the paper. They were the permits for the Malaysia Job. "Are these legit?" he asked pointing to them. "Yeah," Elena replied, "Some of my old contacts out there. They worked some magic in the Malaysia permit office. It was great! I didn't even have to bribe anyone." "Well that's great," Nathan said, "But I don't know how we can even possibly afford to do this?" Elena took the papers out of Nathan's hand, "Here," she said, "Hold out your hand." Nathan stood there, "What?" he asked. "Hold out your hand!" Elena said, "Come on." Nathan held it out. Elena pulled something small out of her pocket and she put it in Nathan's hand. It was a golden coin. On one side was Henry Avery's sigil, and on the other was the Gunsway. It was a golden Libertalia coin. "Whoa…" Nathan said, "Where did you get this?" "It was in my jacket pocket," she said, "Along with a bunch more…" Nathan looked at her, "A bunch?" he asked. Looking back at the coin Nathan sighed, "Sam," he said. Elena smiled, "He's a sneaky one," she said. Nathan chuckled and looked at the coin, "Yeah…" he said. "Of course most of them are going to have to go into our venture here," Elena said, "Along with…all the new camera gear." Elena grinned. Nathan stood back up, "Camera…Gear?" he asked. "Yeah," Elena said, "You know I figured since we were pulling up all that cargo from the dive we could hire, you know…a small crew. We could film the whole thing and resurrect my old show." Nathan shook his head and sat down on the bench, "Whatever happened to, you know, living a…normal life?" Elena sighed, still leaning against the railing. She looked at Nathan, "I think in our attempt to live a normal life we may have…over-steered." Nathan sighed and looked at the river. "Look," Elena said sitting down on the bench beside her husband, "When I was on that island," she said, "I missed the adventure…The real adventure…I missed us." Nathan chuckled, "And now we have a chance to do what we love," Elena said, "But from here on out we're working on a strictly legal basis, alright? And I will be doing all of the shooting…With my…really expensive camera." Nathan shook his head, "Wow," he said, "You've really thought all this through haven't you?" Elena sat back on the bench, "More or less," she said, "But listen, just say the word and I will call the whole thing off." Nathan turned to face Elena, "What? Oh no, no, no, no, no. I don't want to be that guy who ruins Jameson's early retirement like that. That'd be cruel…" Elena smiled and shook her head, "Right," she said. Nathan looked at Elena with love in his eyes. This was a very good thing, and Nathan was ready to live a normal life again, even if it was a little less normal that most people's. "It's not going to be easy you know," Nathan said. "Nothing worthwhile is," Elena replied. Nathan looked at Elena, then the coin, then out into the river. "So," Elena said moving close to Nathan, "What do you say Nathan Drake?" Nathan put his arm around Elena's shoulder and held her close, "Sure, why not." He said softly. But Nathan suddenly remembered something, "As long as I don't have to do any paperwork." He said. Elena laughed, "Well I can't do it," she said, "I'm going to have my hands full with the camera." Nathan shrugged, "Well I'm going to have my hands full with all the diving." Elena sighed, "OK, fine. We'll take turns." Nathan nodded. The sun started rising over the marina, and Nathan and Elena's new future. The water sparkled and shimmered. Nathan smiled, there was another way, "Or…" he said, "I could play you for it."


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

X was the jump button, right? OK, X was jump. The fox charged forward into the jungle, and the fox spun. The end of the level was just ahead. Maybe this time the holy grail of Jungle Fox Jump could be attained: Beating Elena's legendary high score. For thirteen years of trial and error, Elena's high score had stood strong. It was near futile to try differently. If the score could be beaten, then Jungle Fox Jump could finally be put away for good. Until then, it was a long-standing war. There was the end of the level! The fox jumped into the portal and the level ended. The scoreboard came up. Elena's high score: 3,500. Score this round: 3,499. The TV turned off. There, putting down the controller, was a girl, about thirteen years old. Sitting beside her was a young golden retriever. It was Nathan and Elena's daughter Cassie. She sighed and checked her watch. They should've been back by now. Nathan and Elena had gone off to get some scuba gear, but they were very late. After they bought Jameson Marine, Nathan and Elena had moved to Malaysia themselves. They lived in a beautiful and comfortable beach house that looked like a Hawaiian paradise. Cassie had grown up with an adventurous childhood some kids couldn't even dream of. "Where are they?" Cassie asked petting her dog's head. The dog shook its head and wagged its tail, happily. Cassie had a twin bed with a blue blanket. Her room was filled with exotic decorations and souvenirs from her worldwide travels. There was a lucky waving cat from China, an Eifel Tower miniature from Paris, a "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster from London, and many other trinkets. There was a bookshelf on the wall filled with adventure novels and action packed comic books. There was a saltwater fish tank beside her bed with clownfish and other tropical reef fish. She had asked for a moray eel one time, but Elena had given her the thumbs down on it. Inside her bathroom, there was a boogie-board sitting in the bathtub, dripping wet. She had gone body surfing a few hours ago before going back inside. She was practicing for the junior women's surfing competition, which was taking place next week. Cassie was average height, thin, and pretty, with her mother's blonde hair and her father's adventurous spirit. She wore a pair of glasses, something she didn't inherit from her parents. Nathan and Elena had never told Cassie about their adventures prior to buying Jameson's Marine. She knew nothing of El Dorado, Shambhala, Iram of the Pillars, or Libertalia. She walked to the other end of the room, with the walls covered in photographs, and posters. She saw a laundry basket filled with clean laundry. "I should really clean this up," she said. She looked at it, then waved the notion off, "Nah, later," she said. She left her room and walked into the hallway. "Mom! Dad!" she called. No answer. Cassie walked into Nathan and Elena's bedroom. They weren't in there either. She noticed a photo album sitting on the windowsill. She picked it up and started flipping through. There were Nathan and Elena's wedding photos, but where those photos used to end, they now continued. There were two photos of Nathan and Elena smiling, holding their newborn baby. Cassie grinned, toothless, inside her tiny pair of onesies. The next photo was Sully holding Cassie well away from him, Cassie wailing loudly. Cassie chuckled, "Sorry Sully," she said. The next photo was four year old Cassie attempting to train their new puppy. Turning the page, she chuckled. They were photos of the trip they had taken to Cairo Egypt when Cassie was nine years old. One photo was Cassie smiling, riding a grumpy looking camel with Elena. The next one was a laughing Cassie piggyback riding Sam, who looked as proud and happy as if Cassie was his own daughter. The last two photos were Cassie in front of Mount Hood in Washington State, and Cassie riding their yacht at home in Malaysia. Nathan and Elena's room was filled with more exotic décor, some African style, some Asian. There were family photos and other posters hanging on the wall, each mostly Cassie's schedules. She heard the dog barking in the hallway, and she walked out to the main room. She looked up on the to-buy chalkboard. What were they even gone for anyway? There were four items on the list: Scuba gear, lunch, underwater camera film, and fishing rods. She walked over to the countertop and saw a letter. She recognized the handwriting as Sully's She read it, "Well I'm sitting in a tiny café in a busy Havana street, drinking what might be the best blasted espresso I've ever had in my life. No job. Nobody chasing us. Retirement is weird. Good, but weird. Sam wants me to tell you to stock up the fridge with less crappy champagne before we arrive. Sam's words, not mine. Sam is also reminding me that you lose the bet – to both of us! 12 months and counting and no smoking, and I'm in Cuba for crying out loud! That's how good I've been. Anyways, send the girls our love. Tell Cassie to warm up the backgammon board. I want my rematch! Looking forward to seeing the gang in a few weeks. Your pal, Victor." Cassie smiled, "Oh cool," she said, "Sam and Sully are coming for a visit!" She grinned, backgammon was one of Sully's favorite games, and he had taught Cassie how to play. He forever regretted it, since Cassie had become an even better backgammon player than Sully. When they visited last, Cassie had won five games to Sully's two. Cassie wanted to beat her record this visit. She looked around. She walked over to the front door and opened it. The dog flew out of the door, blowing past Cassie. "Hey!" she shouted. The dog didn't listen, just joyfully ran across the beach. She walked onto the front porch, a hammock on one side, a table and chairs on the other. Their home was right in front of the beach, and they owned a small private island, paid for by Captain Henry Avery himself. Elena hadn't wanted any neighbors, she just wanted to be alone in paradise with her two favorite people. The wind chimes tinkled in the gentle tropical breeze. There was a travel guide to India laying on the table. She picked it up with a smile, "Taj Mahal, here I come!" she said, "Just a few more weeks." They were heading to India to film an episode of Elena's TV show, and she had agreed to let Cassie come. She put it down and walked down the back steps, and onto the white sands. The ocean water was almost turquoise, and it shimmered in the cloudless sunlight. There were no waves on the beach, since they were in the middle of a chain of islands. She sighed contentedly, "Perfect day," she said, "Now all I need is the rest of our boat crew." She walked over to the driveway, and the car was there. Cassie sighed, "They must've walked to the store," she said, "Now they'll take twice as long." She walked back onto the beach and passed the canoe rack. She walked onto the dock and up to their yacht. The dog was sitting at the end of the dock, wagging its tail. Nobody on the yacht. She looked over to their second building, which they used as their office and studio. She walked inside and opened the door, "Hello?" she asked. No answer. She sighed. Looking around, she saw their cleaning tables, where they would clean new artifacts. There was a large chunk of green rock, with a golden cross half chipped out. "Whoa…" Nathan said, "Good job cleaning this up." She walked over to the wall, which was covered with news articles and magazine covers, all of which featured the Drake family. Elena had even created their own magazine, D&F Fortunes, which were filled with exciting stories of artifacts and archaeology. Cassie was on the covers of many of them. However, Cassie's favorite was her appearance on the cover of the prestigious Adventure Life magazine. The cover story, "Treasure hunting runs in the family," talked all about her and Nathan and Elena. She walked into the next room, and looked at one of Elena's favorite photos. It was Sully and Elena, each smiling in front of the camera. Sully's snow white hair shining in the sun. Beside that was a journalism award for Elena Fisher. Fisher was Elena's maiden name, though she now proudly took the name of Drake. Cassie looked over to what Nathan called the "Forbidden Cabinet." It was a tall cabinet Nathan always kept locked, and even from a young age Cassie had never been allowed inside. She looked at it and sighed, curiosity eating at her. She looked back at the table and noticed something on the table. It was her dad's keys. She suddenly noticed they were the very keys he used to keep the cabinet locked. She gasped, and took them, "There's no way," she said. She put the keys in the keyhole, and turned it. The lock clicked and she looked inside. She looked around. There was a silver skull, a strange crucifix made of wood and gold, and a gun holster. Cassie looked at it, "uh, nice…gun holster, Dad," she said. She never remembered her dad carrying weapons. There were other trinkets, and photos she had never seen before. She opened a drawer inside and saw Nathan's journal, though she didn't know who it belonged to. There were a bunch of old notes, and drawings of skeletons and pirate captains. She looked through it, confused. What was all of this? She looked below that to see a white journal with the initials CM on it. She opened it and looked inside. There were many theories about history and other things. She spent a good twenty minutes reading it. When she turned the page she saw an old Polaroid photo with two young kids, one wearing a samurai helmet, the other wearing a David Livingstone safari hat. "Whoa…" Cassie said, "Is that dad?" She turned the page again, and there was a large photo that took Cassie's breath away. On the back of the photo were the words, "The treasure of El Dorado." The photo showed Sully, Nathan, and Elena all standing around huge chests of gold. Elena was sitting one of the chests, and Sully pointed at the camera, a cigar in his mouth. It was Nathan that made Cassie's eyes widen. He was smiling broadly, a pistol grip shotgun over his shoulder. Suddenly Cassie heard Nathan and Elena talking outside the building. "Oh crap!" she said. She frantically ran over to the cabinet and shut it, but she left the journal on the table. It was too late, Nathan and Elena were already coming through the door. She stood in front of the journal, making sure to hide it completely behind her. "Hey, there you are!" Nathan said with a smile when he saw Cassie, "Been looking for you. What are you doing in here?" Nathan's hair was greying, though he was still strong and young at heart. Elena smiled, wearing a white t-shirt and shorts. "Uh, looking for you guys," Cassie replied nervously. "Come on, we loaded up the boat, it's ready," Elena said beckoning out the door. "Cool," Cassie said, "I'll catch up with you guys in a sec." Nathan and Elena stopped. They looked at Cassie, then at each other. "Why?" Elena asked putting her hands on her hips. Cassie tried thinking of an explanation, "I uh…I just need to uh…I…" Nathan walked forward intimidating, "What's up Cassie?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Cassie sighed and closed her eyes, "OK," she said, "Don't be mad." She slowly slinked to the side and revealed the journal. Nathan's face looked shocked, then it turned to anger. He walked off to the cabinet and opened it. Not locked. He sighed, "Hey, I said don't be mad!" Cassie said. "Keys." Nathan said holding his hand out. Cassie sighed herself and put the keys in Nathan's hand. Nathan walked over to the journal and picked it up, "So," he said, "What did you see?" "Nothing really," Cassie replied, "Except for that photo of you two and Sully…With a bunch of Spanish looking treasure…And a shotgun." Elena smiled a bit and looked at the ground, "Yeah…" she said. Elena took the picture while Nathan locked the cabinet. "This was bound to happen sometime," Elena said, "Maybe we should just tell her." "She's not ready yet," Nathan replied. "Not ready for what?" Cassie asked, "All that crazy stuff in there? You guys are literally keeping skeletons in your closet! Or at least a silver skull of some kind." Nathan sighed, "You know I don't think I'm ready for this. Really." Elena looked at Nathan. She shrugged, "Nate…Time to have the talk." "Yeah! It's totally time!" Cassie begged, before she squinted, "Wait, what talk do you mean?" "She's just a kid!" Nathan said. Elena gave Nathan a look, "She's older than you when you started all this with Sam." Nathan scoffed, "That is different and you know it." Cassie broke in, "Hey look, if you guys were into some shady stuff it's totally OK! But I think I'm old enough to know about it, right?" Nathan chuckled, "Old enough. How old are you again?" Cassie sighed, "Ha, ha. Funny." She looked at Elena, "Mom?" Nathan sighed, "alright," he said. Elena started the story, "Well let's see um…For me it started when this guy called me up with the scoop on some massive historical find." She chuckled, "he sounded like a complete fraud." "Yeah, handsome fraud," Nathan interjected. Elena laughed, "I didn't even know him yet," she said. Nathan nodded, "Oh she knew," he said, "she knew." Elena laughed and continued, "So this fraud says, if you fund the trip, then I'll give you the coffin of Sir Francis Drake." "And for the record," said Nathan, "I totally delivered." Elena walked up next to Nathan, "Yeah, you delivered us into the hands of Indonesian pirates." "Oh come on, you know I had nothing to do with that!" Nathan defended himself. Cassie shook her hands, "OK, whoa, guys, time out. You're saying you were attacked by pirates, after you found the coffin of Sir Francis Drake. Is that right?" Nathan and Elena nodded, "Yeah, that's pretty much it," Nathan said. "Alright, so keep going!" Cassie begged. Nathan stood there. After a pause he looked at Cassie with a smile, "You know what?" he said, "The sun is up, boat's ready, wind's just right. You want to continue the story? I say we do it on the water. Come on." With that, Nathan made his way towards the door, Cassie following close, "Well wait, what did Sir Francis Drake look like? Was is gross?" Nathan shook his head, "Actually he wasn't in there," he explained, "Yeah, just his journal, and a map to El Dorado." Nathan and Cassie walked down the front steps but Elena held back, smiling at her husband and daughter. She knew Nathan had been itching to tell her their stories for years now. She looked as they walked into the boat, "El Dorado?" Cassie asked with awe, "The city of gold!?" Nathan shook his head, "Ah, that's just the legend. Turns out it was just a statue. But, back to that later, anyway, the map led us to the middle of the Amazon jungle…" Their voices melted away, and Elena walked back inside the house. She went up the journal and holding the photo, she chuckled and laid the photo down. She looked at it a few seconds, before walking off to join Nathan and Cassie. A new adventure was about to begin.

The End


End file.
